Angels' Taijuan Walker: Inks minor-league deal with Angels
Rotowire
Walker and the Angels agreed to a minor-league contract Thursday.
Walker will return to the Angels' organization after being released by the team Sunday, and he will report to Triple-A Salt Lake. The right-hander made one appearance with Salt Lake on June 4, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings.
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Taijuan Walker: Cut loose by Halos
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The Angels released Walker on Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
After being cut by the Phillies in April, Walker inked a minor-league deal with the Halos on May 25. Walker proceeded to turn in a 2.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 9:4 K:BB across 11 innings between two appearances in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and one at Triple-A Salt Lake, but since a promotion to the big leagues wasn't imminent, the veteran right-hander elected to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract. He'll now assess his options as a free agent but will most likely have to settle for another minor-league deal.
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Angels' Taijuan Walker: Lands minors deal with Angels
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Walker signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Walker was cut by the Phillies in late April after accumulating a 9.13 ERA and 2.07 WHIP through 22.2 innings. He'll now attempt to rebound with the Halos and report to the team's complex in Arizona, presumably to work on his mechanics. If the 33-year-old performs well in the minors, he could join Los Angeles' rotation at some point.
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Taijuan Walker: Released by Phillies
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The Phillies released Walker on Thursday.
Walker was roughed up for five runs (four earned) over four innings in Wednesday's loss to the Cubs, which actually lowered his season ERA to 9.13. With Zack Wheeler (shoulder) due back Saturday, Walker was about to lose his rotation spot, and now he's lost his roster spot altogether. Walker will finish his tenure in Philadelphia with a 5.12 ERA over 89 regular-season appearances (71 starts). The Phillies remain responsible for the roughly $15 million Walker is owed through the remainder of this season.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Tagged with loss Wednesday
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Walker (1-4) was tagged with the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk across four innings. He struck out one.
Walker pitched in bulk relief after Wednesday's opener, Kyle Backhus, allowed a run on two hits in his lone inning of work. Walker has failed to pitch more than four innings in his last two starts, taking losses to Atlanta and the Cubs while allowing a combined 12 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits and a 5:4 K:BB through eight frames. Walker's next turn in the rotation should come against the Giants at home next week, but it's hard to trust him right now. He's allowed at least four earned runs in four of his five appearances this season while sporting an inflated 9.13 ERA with a 2.07 WHIP through 22.2 innings.
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Phillies' Andrew Painter: Goes four innings in loss
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Painter (1-1) allowed three runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out four over four-plus innings, taking the loss Sunday versus Atlanta.
Painter fell short of the five-inning mark for the second time in four appearances this season. The 23-year-old right-hander limited the damage to a Michael Harris solo shot through four innings, but he put traffic on the bases in the fifth, and Tim Mayza allowed both inherited runners to score. That ended up being enough to stick Painter with his first big-league loss. He's pitched to a 4.42 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB across 18.1 innings. Zack Wheeler (shoulder) is close to making his season debut, and it's not yet clear if that will cost Painter his rotation spot, though Taijuan Walker's struggles could lead to him being the odd man out. Should Painter stay in the rotation, he is tentatively lined up for a rematch on the road in Atlanta.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Following opener in next outing
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Walker will work in bulk relief behind an opener during his next turn through the rotation Wednesday against the Cubs, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
The veteran right-hander has surrendered 19 earned runs across 18.1 frames in his first four starts of the season, so the Phillies will attempt to limit his exposure to the top of Chicago's lineup Wednesday. Regardless of his role, Walker will have minimal streaming appeal while going up against a Cubs offense that is averaging more than eight runs scored over the past six games. The Phillies are expected to get Zack Wheeler (shoulder) back from the injured list later next week, so Walker may not be in line for any starts or planned bulk-relief appearances for a while after Wednesday's outing.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Hit hard in Friday's loss
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Walker (1-3) took the loss Friday as the Phillies were routed 9-0 by Atlanta, coughing up seven runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander served up homers to Austin Riley in the second inning and Dominic Smith in the third, the second time in four starts that Walker has been taken deep multiple times. It's been a brutal beginning to the year for the 33-year-old, and he carries a 9.16 ERA, 2.04 WHIP and 16:10 K:BB through 18.2 innings. Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will make what could be his final rehab start Sunday, but that schedule would allow Walker to get one more turn through the rotation on the road next week against the Cubs before being replaced.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Gets into win column Saturday
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Walker (1-2) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.
Arizona jumped on the right-hander for two runs in the top of the first inning, including a leadoff homer by Ketel Marte, but Walker settled in and gave the Phillies a chance to respond. Zack Wheeler (shoulder) is still getting stretched out on a rehab assignment, so Walker should make at least one more start before things begin to get crowded in the rotation. He'll take a 7.36 ERA, 1.91 WHIP and 12:7 K:BB through 14.2 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against Atlanta.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Saddled with second loss Sunday
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Walker (0-2) took the loss Sunday against the Rockies, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts across five innings.
After surrendering seven runs (six earned) over 4.2 innings in his season debut last Monday against the Nationals, things didn't go much better for Walker on Sunday, as he allowed a pair of home runs in the first inning before Mickey Moniak tagged him for a third homer allowed in the fifth frame. Through two starts, Walker has an ugly 9.31 ERA and 6:5 K:BB across 9.2 innings. Once Zack Wheeler (shoulder) is ready to return, Walker may be the odd man out of the rotation.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Works two innings in relief
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Walker threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Thursday's win over the Marlins, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three to earn a hold.
Walker piggybacked Walker Buehler -- who started the game with five scoreless frames -- as the Phillies prepare and align their pitching staff for the postseason after clinching a first-round bye Wednesday. A longtime starter in the majors, Walker has taken well to relief work, posting a 3.32 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 19 innings out of the bullpen this season compared to a 4.25 ERA and 1.45 WHIP as a starter.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Goes four innings Friday
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Walker allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two over four innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Both runs allowed came in the first inning, but Walker was able to steady himself after that. He worked the first part of a piggyback with Walker Buehler, who earned the win with 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen once the Phillies took the lead in the sixth frame. This start saw Walker allow his fewest runs in his last six outings -- he had given up at least three runs in each of his previous five appearances. For the season, he has a 4.18 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 81:38 K:BB through 120.2 innings over 32 appearances (21 starts). It's unclear at this time how exactly Walker and Buehler will be deployed next week, but the Phillies' last two series are at home in favorable matchups versus the Marlins and Twins.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Piggyback with Buehler on Friday
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Walker will be piggybacked by Walker Buehler on Friday in Arizona, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
Walker will get the ball first in the tandem start. The Phillies initially operated with a six-man rotation when Buehler was added to the mix, but they're realigning things in order to set up Cristopher Sanchez for the first game of the postseason. Walker has struggled lately, collecting a 7.20 ERA and 14:9 K:BB over 25 innings covering his last five starts.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Suffers eighth loss
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Walker (4-8) conceded four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings to take the loss Sunday at Miami. He struck out one.
The Philadelphia right-hander coughed up all four runs in the opening frame, highlighted by a 424-foot, three-run long ball from Otto Lopez. Walker did not fool the Marlins lineup, generating just four whiffs out of his 87 total pitches, and he's now winless over his last six starts. Over that span, the 33-year-old has produced an unsightly 5.23 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 16:11 K:BB in 32.2 frames, morphing back into a pitcher best left for the waiver wire. Walker currently lines up to make his next start at home against Kansas City next weekend.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Hit hard by Brewers
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Walker allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two batters over four innings in a no-decision against Milwaukee on Monday.
Walker fell behind quickly, allowing four runs over his first two innings. He gave up just one more run across his final two frames, and Philadelphia's offense exploded late to take Walker off the hook for a loss. Nonetheless, this wasn't a promising start by the right-hander -- the five runs he yielded were a season high, and four of the seven hits (two doubles and two homers) he allowed went for extra bases. Walker hasn't pitched more than five innings in any of his past three starts, posting a 7.71 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB across 14 frames during that span. He'll look to do better in his next start, which is tentatively slated to take place in Miami this weekend.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Hit around in seventh loss
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Walker (4-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Mets, allowing four runs on 10 hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out three.
Walker was knocked around for a season-high 10 hits, and the four runs allowed tied his season worst. The veteran swingman has thrown at least five innings in seven consecutive outings, and he'll likely remain a decent matchup-dependent streaming option for the rest of the year. Walker has a serviceable 3.55 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 73:32 K:BB over 101.2 frames in 2025, but he'll still be tough to trust in Milwaukee against the first-place Brewers for his next scheduled start.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Fans five in no-decision
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Walker didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Nationals, giving up three runs on three hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out five.
All the damage came on a first-inning homer by Riley Adams, but Walker kept his focus and got taken off the hook for the loss when the Phillies tied things up in the bottom of the sixth. Top prospect Andrew Painter still lurks as a rotation option for the stretch run, but Walker's been steady as the team's fifth starter, lasting at least five innings in six straight trips to the mound while posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB over 34.1 innings. The veteran righty is scheduled to make his next start on the road next week in a crucial NL East clash with the Mets.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Stuck with loss in quality start
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Walker (4-6) took the loss Saturday as the Phillies fell 2-0 to the Nationals, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out three.
The veteran righty fired 60 of 94 pitches for strikes en route to his third straight quality start, but Philadelphia's hitters couldn't solve Washington starter Cade Cavalli, giving Walker no margin for error. He appeared set to lose his rotation spot with Aaron Nola (ribs) poised to come off the IL on Sunday, but with Zack Wheeler now dealing with a blood clot in his shoulder, the Phillies will need Walker to remain in his current role. Over six outings since the All-Star break, Walker sports a 2.97 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB in 33.1 innings. He'll look for more run support in his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend in a rematch with the Nats.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Impressive again in no-decision
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Walker allowed one run on six hits and one walk over six frames while not factoring into the decision in Monday's 4-1 victory at Cincinnati. He struck out two.
The 32-year-old tallied his third quality start of the season in this 93-pitch performance. The lone blemish on Walker's outing was a run scored on a Gavin Lux single in the first inning. The Phillies right-hander has been impressive since rejoining the rotation July 8, producing a 2.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB across 30.2 frames since that date. Despite the hot stretch, Walker is likely to return to the bullpen after Aaron Nola (ankle/rib) returns in Philadelphia's weekend road series at Washington. Walker is tentatively scheduled to make one more start in the weekend series against the Nationals before Nola is back.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Dazzles against Orioles
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Walker (4-5) got the win over the Orioles on Tuesday, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just four hits, no walks and striking out four.
Walker was brilliant Tuesday night, completing six innings without allowing a run or a walk for the first time since September of 2016. Walker's made 13 starts this season and this marked just his second time reaching six innings. Since returning to the rotation in July, Walker owns a 3.28 ERA 1.26 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB in 24.2 innings across five starts. With Aaron Nola (ankle/rib) nearing a return, it's up in the air whether Walker will get another turn in the rotation or if he'll return to relief duty.
