Not only will Taijuan Walker make his next start, he's being moved up a game.
The Phillies flipped Walker and Cristoper Sanchez in the rotation. Walker will start Wednesday's 4:05 p.m. series finale against the Astros. Sanchez will start Thursday's 6:40 p.m. series opener vs. the Braves.
The Phils are making the switch, manager Rob Thomson said, because they're cognizant of Sanchez' workload and want to give him extra time. When he faces the Braves on Thursday, Sanchez will have had two extra days of rest.
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"It gives Sanchez an extra extra day," Thomson said. "Sanchy pitched really well against Atlanta last time. He's fine physically but I'm worried about those innings."
Sanchez has amassed 146⅓ innings in his first full season in the major leagues. He threw 99⅓ in the majors last season, 148 total when including his minor-league starts. So he's already reached his career-high in innings with a month-plus of the regular season left and the playoffs.
Unlike 2023, there is no question that Sanchez will be in the Phillies' playoff rotation plans should they need a No. 4 starter. They might even turn to him earlier in a series depending on how Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez are pitching.
Walker has struggled mightily, before and after returning from a near-two-month stint on the injured list. In three starts, he's allowed 12 runs and 23 baserunners in 11⅔ innings. His opponents have hit .320 with a 1.064 OPS.
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The Phillies have talked about his splitter having more bite since his return, but it hasn't translated to anything meaningful. He's not throwing it for a strike frequently enough and hitters are laying off the splitter that drops below the zone. There also isn't a huge separation between the velocity of his fastball and splitter.
"I was encouraged by his velocity," Thomson said. "I know he threw some pitches down the middle but he got behind as well. I think he deserves, because of who he is and his experience, he deserves another shot.
"You can always make a change but I'm confident he's gonna bounce back at this point. Not everybody is, but I am, but that's who I am."
While Walker's performance warrants a demotion or even perhaps a release, it doesn't make logical sense for the Phillies to cut ties with him right now. The trade deadline has passed and they would be limited in making any kind of addition should a starting pitcher or starting pitcher(s) suffer untimely injuries.
It's extremely unlikely Walker pitches in any role in the postseason, so it's really just a conversation about the remaining six starts in his rotation spot. The Phillies' depth behind him is Kolby Allard, who has been solid in four appearances (three starts), and Tyler Phillips. Both have pitched better than Walker, but the Phillies will stick with the veteran at least a little while longer. Walker is under contract for two more seasons after 2024 at a combined $36 million.
Allard was optioned to Triple A on Monday. The Phillies called up infielder Buddy Kennedy to replace him on the active roster. They also called back up right-handed reliever Max Lazar while placing Weston Wilson on the paternity list.