After almost a week of speculation, the Philadelphia Phillies officially announced on Sunday that starting pitcher Taijuan Walker had been activated off the 15-day injured list. The Phillies designated struggling reliever Ricardo Pinto for assignment in order to free up space on the 26-man roster.
When the San Diego Padres visit the mound on Sunday afternoon, Walker will make his season debut.
The odd man out in this most recent roster adjustment is Pinto, 30. After making his MLB-caliber debut on April 2 with a stunning four-inning performance, the right-hander has struggled to create results since. He has pitched 6 2/3 innings with a 14.85 ERA in his previous five outings as a reliever, giving up 11 runs on 14 hits.
Return of Taijuan Walker is a contentious topic
Walker had many setbacks throughout spring training, and he started the season on the injured list. The organization had to shut down the seasoned pitcher in late March due to right shoulder impingement, which began with early-season knee pain that hindered his build-up.
Walker hasn’t been forgotten, even if he wasn’t with the club throughout the first month of the campaign. The media and Phillies supporters have been arguing passionately about his upcoming return to the starting lineup. His worrisomely poor rehabilitation performance and rotation replacement for Spencer Turnbull’s excellent debut have sparked intense debate in Philadelphia.
Walker’s pace has decreased throughout the Grapefruit League and rehabilitation stints this season. The right-hander’s four-seam fastball peaked at 90.4 mph in his last Triple-A outing.
Conversely, the Phillies have been pleased with Turnbull as a surprise. After five starts, the 31-year-old has a 1.33 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, and he has contributed to the early-season success of one of the best rotations.Turnbull will accept his inevitable fate, even though he would have preferred to stay in the starting five.
Based on their bullpen situation, the Phillies will make an announcement on Turnbull after Sunday’s game, according to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Turnbull may make another start, but manager Rob Thomson is more likely to send him to the bullpen as a long-reliever and spot starter.
