Phillies demote Mick Abel to minors, reinsert Taijuan Walker into rotation — for now

New York Times

20 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA — Mick Abel's time in the majors ended, for now, with back-to-back bases-loaded walks and a bases-clearing double. The Phillies demoted him to the minors Friday morning because they saw enough troubling signs for the rookie starter.
'Mick just needed to go down and breathe a little bit,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'Just get a little reset. It's not uncommon.'
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The Phillies need a fifth starter only one more time before the All-Star break, so they will reinsert Taijuan Walker into the rotation. He'll start Tuesday at San Francisco. He could pitch four innings or so. Then, during the break, the Phillies will reassess. They could delay a decision until July 22 — the fifth game out of the break.
For Walker, it's welcome news. The 32-year-old righty became a full-time reliever for the first time in his career at the beginning of June, but the entire time he has preferred to start. The Phillies did not see a significant uptick in Walker's stuff during shorter, one-inning bursts. He did not generate enough swing-and-miss.
They are pulling the plug on that experiment.
Walker has a 3.62 ERA in eight starts this season and a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings as a reliever. Since June 1, when the Phillies attempted to use him in higher-leverage spots, Walker struck out seven and walked five in 11 innings.
'He always considers himself a starter,' Thomson said. 'I think ultimately he wants to start. He'll do anything for the ballclub because he's that type of guy. But I think he's generally happy that he's going to get back into a normal routine.'
This was not a one-start blip for Abel, who had not recaptured the adrenaline from his big-league debut when he struck out nine batters over six scoreless innings. He fanned only 12 batters in the 19 innings that followed. He surrendered seven homers and nine walks in those 19 innings with a 6.63 ERA.
Although the Phillies are convinced Abel has made legitimate strides in his game, there is still polishing to be done.
'Just get his confidence back,' Thomson said. 'Be able to get through tough situations and adversity. And he's done it before. I mean, this guy's had a really good year this year. His poise and his composure have been outstanding. He's really grown. So we just need to get back to that game.'
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The fifth spot, at some point, will be Aaron Nola's. The veteran has reported good progress in recent days, to the point where he will throw a bullpen session Sunday. Nola will not join the team on its California trip; instead, he will head to Florida and continue his rehab work at the club's Clearwater complex. He'll throw two bullpens there, then progress to live batting practice sessions. Nola will stay in Florida through the All-Star break to have consistent work.
He could return in early August.
So, until then, the Phillies are open to ideas. Andrew Painter allowed four runs in five innings Thursday night at Triple-A Lehigh Valley; his fastball command remains inconsistent. But the Phillies remain convinced Painter will help them later this summer. He will pitch twice next week — Tuesday and Sunday — then rest during the break. Maybe he's a consideration for July 22. Maybe the Phillies just bring Abel back; he'd be eligible to return by then.
Or, if Walker throws well in his much-desired return to the rotation, he could stick.
'I'm not sure,' Thomson said.