The Philadelphia Phillies are off to a worse-than-expected 8-12 start. In a good National League East division, this is just something Philadelphia cannot afford.
Part of the struggles the Phillies are having stems from their pitching. The Phillies have given up 109 runs, scoring just 73 through 20 games.
A lot of that falls on starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, who has given up 20 of those 109 runs.
To remedy this, manager Rob Thomson has a simple solution: use an opener before Walker pitches.
This is exactly what the Phillies plan to do on Wednesday, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
Why Does This Make Sense for the Philadelphia Phillies?
Walker has been incredibly disappointing for Philadelphia. In four starts, he has pitched just 18.2 innings, striking out 16 and walking 10 batters for a 9.16 ERA and 2.036 WHIP.
The one-time All-Star has been even worse in the first inning. In 2026, he owns a 24.75 ERA in the first inning, allowing 11 runs and three home runs.
Meanwhile, Walker has been a better reliever in the 21 games he’s come out of the bullpen. Walker has a 3.92 ERA as a reliever.
This could be what Walker needs to get back on track.
In the last year of a four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies, he has largely underperformed.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, he has pitched to a 5.08 ERA in 88 games (398.2 innings) with Philadelphia.
While this is a demotion of sorts for Walker, this is not the first time he has come out of the bullpen in Philadelphia. Between 2024 and 2025, Walker has 17 appearances as a reliever under his belt.
The Seattle Mariners selected Walker in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of high school. Now in his age-34 season, Walker must learn to adapt during his struggles.
The hope is that he can soon return to the rotation, but if he thrives as a reliever, that could be the long-term answer to his woes.
What’s Next for the Rotation?
With reliever Zach Pop (strained right calf) on the injured list, the Phillies will need to find a different pitcher to open with.
Pop had been the only Phillies reliever to open a game this season, leaving a question as to who the Phillies will use in that role going forward.
Chase Shugart, Seth Johnson, Tanner Banks or Tim Mayza are all options to be used as an opener on Wednesday.
Of those names, Banks is the only one with opening experience. Since 2023, Banks has made six starts between the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
However, as a starter, it’s been a mixed bag for Banks. In the six games he started, Banks has gone 16 innings, but pitched to a 6.75 ERA with 18 strikeouts and three walks.
But that doesn’t tell the full story. In most of his starts, Banks was forced to go multiple innings. But in the first inning, he has given up just one earned run in his career.
Banks is the likely choice to be the opener because of this, depending on how Cubs manager Craig Counsell runs out his starting lineup.
This decision could have a huge effect on Philadelphia’s season.
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