PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies had a busy Sunday leading up to the series finale against the Brewers reconfiguring their pitching staff as they try to help fortify a leaky bullpen that has posted the sixth-highest ERA across MLB entering June.
Rob Thomson announced that the team is moving Taijuan Walker to the bullpen and will be used as a reliever while Mick Abel deservingly earned another call up to the big leagues and will rejoin the team and pitch in the series finale on Thursday at Toronto.
Walker struggled in his most recent outing on Friday against Milwaukee allowing four earned runs on seven hits in four innings of work in a 6-2 loss for Philadelphia. After the game, Thomson said they needed to have a conversation on how the team would move forward with the righty. That plan now is for Walker to be used in leverage as a one-inning reliever.
Abel also pitched on Friday and put together a second consecutive solid start since making his big-league debut going 4 2/3 innings allowing an unearned run on four hits, walking three and racking up eight strikeouts. This could be more than just a one and done start like it was when the rookie dazzled against the Pirates.
Seth Johnson recalled
The team also announced that right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson was recalled and will join the bullpen. To make room on the 26-man roster, José Ruiz was designated for assignment.
Johnson, ranked the club’s #12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, made the transition to the bullpen with Triple-A Lehigh back on April 22. As a reliever, he posted a 5.52 ERA in 12 appearances with the IronPigs, not allowing an earned run in eight of those outings. In 14.2 innings, he struck out 20 batters while walking 10. Including his four starts he made to start the season, he is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in 16 total appearances with 42 strikeouts in 33 innings of work. Johnson was part of the trade last year between Philadelphia and Baltimore that sent Gregory Soto to the Orioles with Johnson and Moises Chace coming to the Phillies.
Ruiz Designated for Assignment
Ruiz was the one chosen to be DFA’d which comes at a bit of a surprise considering Rob Thomson had expressed that he liked Ruiz. The 30-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Phillies out of the bullpen and yielded an 8.16 ERA across 14.1 innings with a 1.88 WHIP. The righty signed with the team as a free agent back in 2023, making 52 appearances last season logging 51 innings and posting a 4.06 ERA.
Harper to return to Phillies on Tuesday
Bryce Harper is not in the starting lineup for the Phillies Sunday, missing his fifth straight game since being hit by Spencer Strider in the elbow. Prior to the game on Sunday, Thomson said Harper will be back in the lineup Tuesday when the team heads to Toronto.
That is good news for the Phillies who have definitely missed Harper’s bat in the lineup during his absence scoring just 18 runs over the last five games while dropping three of their last five during that stretch.
The Phillies will look to avoid being swept for just the second time this season on Sunday with first pitch at 1:35 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park. LHP Ranger Suárez (4-0, 2.97 ERA) will look to help salvage the series going up against LHP Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.65 ERA).
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
