Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker didn't sound particularly excited when speaking on his recent move to the bullpen.
Walker was transparent when asked about manager Rob Thomson's removing him from Philadelphia's current rotation following Ranger Suárez's return from a back injury. Even though his frustration is palpable, he acknowledged there's not much to do besides taking the mound when called upon.
"I don’t think there’s any really way to approach it, because I don't reallycontrol when I pitch," Walker said (h/t The Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlahn March ($)). "The only thing I do is be ready to pitch whenever."
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Taijuan Walker's dissatisfaction with bullpen move raises questions about Phillies' pitching rotation
An established, seasoned commodity with over a decade of experience in the Majors and an All-Star nod to his name, Walker seemingly feels disrespected. And frankly, it's fair; Thomson's decision has nothing to do with how he's performed this season. The 32-year-old has been dealing, boasting a 2.54 ERA, 1.341 WHIP and 22 strikeouts across 28.1 innings of work.
While Walker is no stranger to transitioning into a bullpen role, considering it happened last year with Philly, March notes how the situations vary. The right-hander struggled in 2024, so Thomson took "last resort" measures. But as mentioned, it has nothing to do with his efforts this time (or lack thereof).
Philly needs to sort out its issues in the 'pen as soon as possible. They're tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox for the league lead in blown saves (eight). Walker is an in-house attempt to resolve the matter swiftly, which can be seen as flattering, depending on your point of view. Nonetheless, it's hard to fault him for treating this like a demotion.
Meanwhile, Thomson has left the door open for Philadelphia to deploy a six-man rotation at some point, but Walker ostensibly isn't holding his breath. Instead, the veteran hurler is focused on the cards he's been dealt, adjusting to the circumstances despite demonstrably not being too pleased.
"It’s definitely going to change," Walker stated regarding his training/preparation regimen. "When you know when you’re pitching, you can build out a routine for four or five days, so it makes it easier. But I guess now it’s just kind of figure out my stretching routine and just really lock in and get ready, and stuff like that."