Taijuan Walker is set to make his return to the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting rotation on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, as reported by Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Left-hander Kolby Allard has been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, making room for Walker to reclaim one of the five rotation spots.
This will be Walker’s first start since June 21, having been sidelined with right index finger inflammation that affected his ability to throw his key pitch, the splitter. Walker had also been on the injured list earlier this season with right shoulder soreness. In his second season of a four-year, $72 million contract, he has made only 10 starts, posting a 5.60 ERA and 5.80 FIP.
Despite struggles in first innings last year, Walker was valuable for his ability to pitch deep into games. He finished his inaugural season with the Phillies with a 4.38 ERA and 4.53 FIP across 172 2/3 innings. Although he did not pitch in the postseason, the Phillies would benefit from Walker’s innings-eating ability as they look to strengthen their rotation and manage their bullpen heading into the playoffs.
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