The Philadelphia Phillies are finally welcoming Taijuan Walker back to the starting rotation. On Tuesday, the team announced that the veteran right-hander has been reinstated from the 15-day IL. He'll start against the visiting Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park to open the Philies' six-game homestand.
The corresponding move to make room on the 26-man roster should come as no surprise. The Phillies have optioned reliever Yunior Marte to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Phillies returned RHP Taijuan Walker from his rehab assignment with Reading (AA) and reinstated him from the 15-day IL. To make room for him on the 26-man roster, RHP Yunior Marte was optioned to Lehigh Valley (AAA) following Sunday's game.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 13, 2024
Phillies make no-brainer bullpen demotion, optioning Yunior Marte to activate Taijuan Walker
The decision to demote Marte must have been an easy one for the front office. The right-hander has struggled immensely for most of the season. The second-year Phillie has a 7.13 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in 24 innings out of the bullpen. He has recorded 23 strikeouts on the year, with a glaringly bad 14 walks.
His last outing in Arizona likely sealed his fate as the latest roster casualty as the Phillies look to shore up a leaky relief corps. He came on in a still winnable 4-1 game on Saturday and promptly surrendered seven runs on six hits in just 2/3 of an inning as the Diamondbacks batted around to take an 11-1 lead.
While that outing certainly elevated his ERA, it was already at an uncomfortable 4.63 ERA heading into the game. Since returning to the bullpen on July 21, Marte had posted a 7.71 mark before Saturday.
With Marte's demotion, the Phillies are opting to keep right-hander Max Lazar in the bullpen for now.
Phillies need Walker to be halfway decent and eat some innings
With Walker returning to the rotation, the Phillies hope he can provide valuable innings down the stretch. They don't need him to be lights out, but they need him to be halfway decent and eat some innings.
He's coming off his second stint on the injured list this season, this one for a blister on his right index finger. The ailment affected his splitter, his best pitch.
In his two Double-A rehab outings, Walker threw a combined 7 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out six and walking one. According to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia, his fastball velocity was up to 93 mph in his first rehab start, and he threw 40 of his 60 pitches for strikes in his second game.
The beleaguered 32-year-old hasn't been a fan favorite this season, posting a 3-3 record, a 5.60 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in 10 starts. His best outing of the season came on May 11, when he held the Marlins to one run on eight hits over six innings. That was the last win he picked up. Hopefully, he can have a repeat performance in his return.