Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

Struggling Taijuan Walker says ‘I know that I’m better than this’ after latest Phillies loss

Taijuan Walker is in his second season with the Phillies. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)

KANSAS CITY — Pushing across four runs when you post 11 hits isn’t good enough when you’re facing a playoff-caliber team, but there were nonetheless signs of life from the Philadelphia Phillies offense Friday evening.

But ultimately, they weren’t able to climb out of the hole that starter Taijuan Walker dug for them in a 7-4 series-opening loss to the Royals.

“It wasn’t good,” Walker said bluntly of his performance postgame. “Not throwing the right pitches in the right counts … getting behind in counts still … giving up the home run ball.

“It just hasn’t been good lately, especially, you know, you want to help the team as much as possible,” Walker continued. “Obviously, I feel like we’re not playing great, but it would be nice for myself to be able to pick the team up. I just haven’t really done that so it’s frustrating.”

Despite saying this is probably the best he’s felt physically during a start this season, Walker allowed eight hits and six earned runs over just three innings of work Friday.

In talking to Walker, manager Rob Thomson and catcher J.T. Realmuto postgame, there was a common theme — getting behind in counts and then trying to make up for it by leaving pitches over the middle of the plate isn’t a recipe for success for the 32-year-old. It isn’t for any pitcher.

In only three innings of work, Walker allowed nine balls to be hit 95 mph or better. Across 13 starts this season, Walker has an unsightly 6.26 ERA. He isn’t even giving the Phillies length, which was his saving grace a season ago.

After the game, Thomson was non-committal when asked whether Walker will make his next scheduled start.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Thomson said.

Given that Walker is in the second season of a four-year/$72 million deal, there’s only so much that Thomson can say. Unless Walker comes in with an injury tomorrow, a larger decision from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton may soon need to be made on the right-hander’s future in the organization.

If Walker does remain in the rotation, what gives Thomson confidence that the righty will get back on track?

“Well, just the velocity jump,” Thomson said. “But you still have to command the baseball. And the split was OK. But a lot of times as soon as they see it they just take it and it’s out of the zone. So he’s got to get that in the zone.”

What about Walker himself? Why is he still confident that he’s going to be able to salvage his season and Phillies tenure?

“I mean, I know that I’m better than this,” Walker said. “I’ve proven it before. I just gotta keep my confidence and know it’s gonna turn around and really just trust my stuff and just attack and just really trust everything that I have and know that I’m better than what I’m showing right now.”

Realmuto pointed to how hard Walker works in between starts as a reason that gives him hope things will turn around. And that’s always important to remember in discussions like this — don’t assume because someone is struggling that they aren’t working tirelessly to try to correct it. There’s been no indication in nearly two seasons with the Phillies that Walker isn’t a hard worker.

But every athlete’s body eventually hits a wall. It seems like Walker, despite his best efforts, might be at that point. How the Phillies proceed with him will be interesting to watch.