The clock is officially ticking on Taijuan Walker’s spot in the Phillies rotation

Taijuan Walker fooled us—for about two weeks.

After a shockingly solid start to his 2025 campaign (12 scoreless innings), Monday night against the Giants felt like the cold slap back to reality we all expected.

Phillies Funk: RISP failures, strikeouts, and a Black 9-Hole are destroying this lineup

Walker was shelled for six runs in the second inning, committed a throwing error, and gave up two no-doubt home runs to Tyler Fitzgerald and Willy Adames.

Taijuan Walker getting rocked

Willy Adames' first home run as a member of the #SFGiants 🤗 pic.twitter.com/BTvCpnOP02

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) April 14, 2025

It was the kind of meltdown that brings back painful memories from last season, when Walker was one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball.

Yes, he finished five innings. Yes, he settled down. But that second inning? That’s the version of Taijuan Walker Phillies fans remember from 2024—and not fondly.

Taijuan Walker Déjà Vu

Let’s not forget what the numbers looked like last year:

• 7.10 ERA
• 24 home runs allowed
• .386 opponent OBP
• Just 83.2 innings pitched
• And oh yeah… still owed $36 million through 2026

Walker is only still in this rotation because of injuries—namely to Ranger Suárez, who is just about ready to return after his second rehab start this week. When Suárez comes back, the Phillies have a decision to make. And it’s not one they can kick down the road much longer.

The Options Are Limited—and Ugly

Walker is expected to make at least one more start. But once Ranger is healthy? Someone has to go.

The only reliever with minor league options left is Tanner Banks, who has quietly been doing his job in a low-leverage role.

Everyone else is either too valuable or out of options. So unless the Phillies want to weaken the bullpen for a fifth starter who just got shelled, the writing’s on the wall.

They could move Walker to the bullpen. But he doesn’t really have the stuff—or the mental makeup—for relief work. He’s also not going to magically turn into an innings-eating mop-up guy at $18 million a year.

Which means there’s a world where the Phillies might finally have to swallow the reality of that contract and eat it.

A Bad Contract Is Still a Bad Pitcher

Let’s not pretend this is some small sample size issue. Walker’s home run problem didn’t magically disappear—it just took two weeks to come back.

Monday night was his first start of 2025 that looked like 2024 Taijuan, and it was more than enough to remind us how bad things can get.

If the Phillies are serious about contending, there’s no room to keep a pitcher just because he’s expensive. Walker got his mulligan, and maybe one more start.

After that, the Phillies front office has a decision to make.

They can either cling to a sunk cost—or do what’s best for the team and finally move on.

Join The Chase