Phillies move Taijuan Walker to bullpen

PHILADELPHIA — While it seemed mostly inevitable ever since the Phillies revealed that Ranger Suárez would start Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Diamondbacks, manager Rob Thomson finally confirmed that Taijuan Walker will be moved to the bullpen.

After a nightmare 2024, Walker bounced back to pitch capably while Suárez missed the first month of this season. The right-hander had a 2.54 ERA in 28 1/3 innings over six starts. Unlike when it happened last year, Walker being sent to the bullpen is not exactly indicative of his performance out of the rotation.

Thomson said it was tough to have the conversation with Walker about changing his role.

“It is, because I know how hard he’s worked,” Thomson said after the Phillies’ 7-2 win over Arizona on Saturday to clinch a series win. “I know what type of competitor he is. It’s difficult, but we got to sort of move on.”

For now, the Phillies (19-14) will have Suárez (low back stiffness) man the fifth rotation spot after officially coming off the 15-day injured list before Saturday’s game in place of reliever José Ruiz, who landed on the IL with neck spasms. Suárez pitched like one of the top starters in the major leagues for the first half of last season, but he sputtered down the stretch as he dealt with a back issue. The left-hander will make his 2025 debut on Sunday with a chance to sweep the D-Backs out of Citizens Bank Park.

Walker, meanwhile, will provide some bulk in the bullpen unit. Thomson said he’d have to check on the righty before deciding when exactly he’ll be available after starting on Thursday, but there’s a chance Walker could be ready to throw an inning on Sunday. Thomson will be comfortable utilizing him in multiple relief scenarios moving forward.

“I think you can use him in length. You can use him one inning, two innings,” Thomson said.
“Various ways.”

The Phillies haven’t ruled out the possibility of going to a six-man rotation including Walker at some point, but Thomson will stick with five starting pitchers for now. He’ll reevaluate on Philadelphia’s day off on May 15 that follows nine games in nine days against the Rays, Guardians and Cardinals.