Philadelphia Phillies Struggling Starter Has Harsh Self-Assessment vs. Nationals

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker was not thrilled with his performance on the mound vs. the Washington Nationals.

Aug 18, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have been inconsistent on the field in recent weeks. They haven’t performed near the same level in the second half of the season as they did in the first, hitting a few roadblocks along the way.

One of those roadblocks has been injuries to their pitching staff. Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker, Spencer Turnbull and Dylan Covey have all missed time because of ailments.

Walker, who was sidelined nearly two months, made his return to the rotation last week against the Miami Marlins. He pitched four innings, throwing 76 pitches while allowing four hits and issuing three walks, resulting in three earned runs.

Far from a stellar performance, but in his first major league appearance since June 21st, an adjustment was expected. Unfortunately for Walker, his second start since returning was more of the same.

With the Phillies riding a four-game winning streak, he took the mound against the Washington Nationals. He labored through 4.2 innings, needing 99 pitches to get that far but did not factor into the decision of the 6-4 loss.

His stat line against the Nationals was almost identical to the one he recorded against the Marlins. Four hits, three walks and three earned runs; the only difference was Washington got him twice for home runs compared to one by Miami. 

Walker also had only three strikeouts against the Nationals and three against the Marlins. After his start on Sunday, he offered a harsh self-criticism of his performance and what he needs to work on moving forward.

“I’m still not throwing enough strikes. It’s too many pitches, especially for five innings. I like to go deep in games — six or seven innings. I’m just throwing away pitches right now,” Walker said, via the Associated Press with a h/t to ESPN.

Locating his pitches has been a struggle since his return to the big leagues after dealing with an inflamed index finger on his right hand. Unable to consistently pinpoint his location is likely playing a part in the alarming frequency he is allowing home runs.

In only 12 starts and 61.2 innings this season, Walker has allowed 15 home runs. He allowed 15 in 29 starts with the New York Mets across 159 innings in 2022 and 20 in 31 starts and 172.2 innings last season with Philadelphia.

The Phillies will need Walker to figure things out, and quickly. He is facing a stiff test in his next two scheduled starts against the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros.