The Philadelphia Phillies got starting pitcher Ranger Suarez back from the 15-day injured list last week and the team made the decision to move Taijuan Walker to the bullpen. Walker had opened the season in the Phillies’ rotation and pitched well. But with manager Rob Thomson opting for a five-man rotation, the team decided to use Walker as a reliever.
That decision paid off immediately as Walker achieved an impressive milestone Wednesday, earning his first career save, per NBC Sports Philadelphia on X. The 13-year veteran threw three scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out seven batters.
“It was fun. Felt good, ready, refreshed,” Walker said of the outing.
Taijuan Walker impressed in relief for the Phillies
The 32-year-old veteran has primarily worked as a starter since debuting with the Seattle Mariners in 2013. Wednesday’s game marked just the ninth relief appearance of his career, compared to 215 starts.
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Walker is enjoying a bounce back season after a down year in 2024 that was marred by injury. Last season he posted career-lows in ERA (7.10), WHIP (1.721), K/9 (6.2), ERA+ (59) and bWAR (-1.6) in 83.2 innings for the Phillies.
However, Walker has looked like a different pitcher in 2025. In six starts this season he has a 2.54 ERA and an ERA+ of 165. After his three-inning save against the Rays, his ERA is down to 2.30 and, although he’s never been a strikeout-dependent pitcher, he’s up to an impressive 29 Ks in 31.1 innings.
Walker combined with Cristopher Sanchez to shutout Tampa Bay on Wednesday as the Phillies got the 7-0 win. And the new reliever’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by his teammates as shortstop Trea Turner praised Walker’s work ethic in his comeback season.
For his part, Sanchez survived an injury scare and avoided a stint on the IL. The fifth-year lefty was forced to come out of a game against the New York Mets after just two innings on April 22 due to forearm soreness. But he was able to return to the mound a week later. On Wednesday he looked dominant in six scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and three walks while striking out five.
