Weston Wilson Injured and the first signs of a Taijuan Walker Revenge Tour ahead of the Phillies’ first Grapefruit League game

Drew Smith
February 22, 2025
Phillies
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Spring training hasn’t even reached game one, and the Phillies are already dealing with a position battle shake-up and the first signs of a Taijuan Walker Revenge Tour.

Utilityman Weston Wilson, who was set to make the trip to Lakeland for the Phillies’ first Grapefruit League game, felt a grab in his oblique while hitting in the cage Friday morning. That’s a tough break for a guy fighting for his first Opening Day roster spot at 30 years old.

The Phillies haven’t provided a timeline for his return yet, but oblique injuries are tricky. If this keeps him out for even a couple of weeks, it could open the door for Kody Clemens, Cal Stevenson, or Buddy Kennedy to snag the final bench spot instead.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acknowledged last week that Wilson was making a strong case for a roster spot:

“We think Wes Wilson gets sort of swept on the side. He’s done a nice job for us when he’s had the opportunity.”

Now, with this setback, his chances just took a hit.

Phillies Roster: Who’s taking the final bench seat?

Taijuan Walker’s Revenge Tour Begins…

Meanwhile, Taijuan Walker came into camp without a clear role, but he’s already making noise.

Walker struck out five straight Phillies—including Bryson Stott, J.T. Realmuto, and Max Kepler—in live BP on Friday. That’s a statement for a guy trying to prove he still belongs.

The Phillies already have five starting pitchers locked in, and there’s only one open bullpen spot if everyone stays healthy. But Taijaun Walker is owed $36 million over the next two years, so the Phillies need to find a way to extract value—whether it’s as a reliever, spot starter, or trade chip.

According to manager Rob Thomson, Walker is already looking better than he did in 2023, when he won 15 games:

“He looks better than he did the year he won 15 games. Just physically, his movements, athleticism. The ball’s coming out hot, and the split’s fantastic. He was good that year in spring training, but I think he’s better this year.”

Taijaun Walker spent the offseason working on velocity, and early signs are promising. Thomson didn’t give specific numbers but said his fastball is back over 92 mph, which would be a big improvement from last season, where he often sat in the high 80s to low 90s.

If Walker keeps this up, he might just force his way into the pitching staff conversation. I don’t want to dive too far down the conspiracy hole yet, but the Phillies would be better off allowing Taijuan Walker strike out every single batter he faces so we can catapult his trade value to ship him out of Philly as quickly as possible.

In all seriousness, Taijaun Walker was putting in work over the offseason and dropped a ton of weight, so maybe this season can be a “redemption arc” after the disaster that unfolded in 2024.

Taijuan Walker Revenge Tour: Offseason workout videos that rival Ben Simmons posted online

Spring Training Rotation Updates

The Phillies also announced their starters for the first few spring games:

Saturday vs. Tigers → Nabil Crismatt starts; Rafael Marchan catches
Sunday vs. Orioles (NBCSP, 1:05 p.m.) → Tyler Phillips starts; Garrett Stubbs catches
Monday vs. Pirates (NBCSP, 1:05 p.m.) → Cristopher Sánchez starts
Next week → Taijuan Walker is expected to start at some point

Spring training is just getting started, but between Wilson’s injury, Walker’s resurgence, and roster battles heating up, there’s already plenty to watch.