Taijuan Walker dealing with shoulder issue; Orion Kerkering to IL

After the Philadelphia Phillies tied with the New York Yankees this afternoon, manager Rob Thomson spoke with the media and provided updates on two of the club’s pitchers.

The first update was on Taijuan Walker. While speaking with reporters, including Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Thomson noted that while warming up for a bullpen session earlier today, Walker said his shoulder didn’t feel right. The Phillies sent the right-hander for an MRI.

This news comes just days after Walker’s iffy outing against the Baltimore Orioles. He allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 innings on Wednesday night, five of which came in the first inning. Walker’s fastball velocity during the outing was sitting in the high-80s to low-90s — much lower than his average velocity from a season ago.

Thomson also told reporters that if Walker lands on the injured list to open the season, right-hander Spencer Turnbull will start the year in the rotation for the Phillies. Turnbull signed with Philadelphia in February as rotation depth and has looked good this spring. He started on Saturday against the Yankees and finished three innings without allowing a run while striking out five batters. His spring ERA now sits at 2.25 across eight innings.

Thomson also provided an update on reliever Orion Kerkering. The 22-year-old right-hander is going to start the season on the injured list. This isn’t a surprise as Thomson noted that Kerkering could miss the start of the season earlier this week. The young reliever had been hit hard with an illness earlier this month and is just now getting back into building up for the season.

With Kerkering officially on the shelf to start the year, and things up in the air for Walker, that could open another spot in the Phillies’ bullpen. Turnbull was scheduled to be a long-relief option in Phillies Nation’s most recent Opening Day roster projection, but if he’s thrust into the rotation, the Phillies would have to find someone else to fill that role.

Update: Lauber later clarified the initial Walker report. He saw a doctor, but did not receive an MRI:

To clarify: Walker saw a doctor today in Clearwater but did not get an MRI. Phillies expect to have more information Sunday. https://t.co/1YEoGyeUCO

— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) March 24, 2024

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