Phillies reaction to latest Taijuan Walker start was the bare minimum

On paper, it looks like the Philadelphia Phillies are in a good spot. They have a five-game lead in their division with just under thirty games left to play. However, the reality of the situation is much worse. Starting pitcher Taijuan Walker is not helping the situation, either.

What was once a 9.5-game lead in the National League East has been cut almost in half by the surging Atlanta Braves, who just swept a playoff contender in the Minnesota Twins. Now, the two will square off for four games at the Bank this weekend. The Braves are getting scary close in the rearview mirror.

The Phillies have lost five of their last ten games, the latest being a 10-0 disaster against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Walker started the game and gave up six runs in six innings on 13 Astros hits. He suffered the loss and is now 3-6 on the year.

Walker was on the shelf for seven weeks while a blister healed on his throwing hand. Since his return, he has a 9.17 ERA with a 2.04 WHIP. That's in just four games, and the Phillies have lost every one of them.

Halfway through his four-year, $72 million contract signed at the end of the 2022 season, Walker doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Rightfully so, questions have arisen about what the future holds for him as part of the Phillies' starting rotation. The Phillies spoke rather vaguely on the matter.

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Phillies Need To "Discuss" Future For Taijuan Walker

Phillies Manager Rob Thomson was asked what the plan would be for Walker moving forward, given the struggles that have put the team in a bad position. Thomson responded vaguely, saying it's something the coaches and front office will need to talk about. Obviously, whatever the current plan is now isn't working.

After four games against the Atlanta Braves this weekend in Philadelphia, the Phillies will go on a week-long road trip, making stops in Toronto and Miami. There is an off day before their series with the Blue Jays, which they can use to skip the fifth spot in the rotation. Technically, the next time they would need a fifth starter is not until Sept. 7 against the Marlins.

Ideally, the Phillies would like to utilize their off days to give the rest of their rotation some extra rest. However, it may be better for the team not to have Walker on the mound and keep things rolling with regular rest for the remaining starters.

The baseball world will undoubtedly be monitoring this situation closely to see what the Phillies do. The playoffs are right around the corner, and Philadelphia is expected to make another deep run. They cannot do that if they cannot rely on an anchor arm to produce for them.