Apr 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (99) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images PATRICK GORSKI
Multiple times during a nightmarish 2024 season, it felt like things had reached a point where the Phillies had to move on from Taijuan Walker. It again felt that way Tuesday night in Chicago as the Phillies lost their eighth consecutive game — this one by the score of 7-2 — with the right-hander struggling across four innings after Kyle Backhus opened the game in Wrigley Field.
The Phillies hoped that using an opener in front of Walker — who entered the evening with a 24.75 ERA in the first inning in 2026 — would help the veteran right to give them length without pitching them out of the game in the process. It didn't work.
Backhus actually pitched pretty well as the opener, but Nico Hoerner reached first base on a leadoff single that seemingly both Alec Bohm and Trea Turner had a play on. Alex Bregman followed with a perfectly placed single that advanced Hoerner to third base. An Ian Happ fielder's choice ultimately plated Hoerner, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead.
The Phillies took the lead in the top of the second inning. Edmundo Sosa brought home Felix Reyes with an RBI double, with Justin Crawford later driving in Alec Bohm with a fielder's choice:
Edmundo Sosa ties the game!
(Via @CDrottar19) pic.twitter.com/Dhyn6qWHQW
— OnPattison (@OnPattison) April 23, 2026
Unfortunately for the Phillies, Crawford struggled behind Taijuan Walker in the field in the bottom of the second inning. First, he called off Sosa, only to let a Miguel Amaya ball drop off of his glove. Pete Crow-Armstrong then doubled to deep center field — which Crawford didn't get a great read on — to bring home Amaya.
It was not a good inning in the field for Justin Crawford. 😬
(@deportes_rpc) pic.twitter.com/RJS3Nsf5OJ
— OnPattison (@OnPattison) April 23, 2026
In the bottom of the third inning, Bregman led off with a triple. Happ then singled to bring home Bregman. Later in the inning, Busch added on with a 375-foot homer to increase Chicago's lead to 4-2:
Michael Busch leaves the yard for the first time this season! pic.twitter.com/iUP8JhrXQc
In the bottom of the fifth, Seiya Suzuki homered for the second time in as many days, this one a two-run shot:
Seiya Suzuki homers in back-to-back games ‼️ pic.twitter.com/zEnkGEAGQu
Across four innings of work, Walker allowed eight hits and five runs, four of which were earned. He gave up two home runs, and now has surrendered eight long balls already this season.
A couple weeks ago, I argued that Walker's ability to battle after slow starts would keep him on the roster even when Zack Wheeler returned to the rotation — which will now happen Saturday. Since then, he's gotten shelled in whatever inning he's pitched. The bottom line is he has a 9.13 ERA after five appearances this season. There's no way to spin it, he's been horrible.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic wondered in a column last week whether the Phillies would be more willing to move on from Walker now than they were two years ago since he's in the final season of a four-year/$72 million deal. It's a lot easier to waive the white flag when a contract is winding down than it is in the second year.
The other reality is that the Phillies are a disaster right now. Fans want someone to lose their job. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski gave Rob Thomson a vote of confidence before Tuesday's game, and he's not gonna fire himself. The Phillies could move on from hitting coach Kevin Long, though despite calls for them to do so from some segments of the fanbase over the past few years, the organization continues to hold him in high regard. If the Phillies don't get things turned around soon, there will be a real conversation about Thomson, that's just the nature of the job. If this season proves to be a wire-to-wire disaster, there will be a conversation about the future of Dombrowski, who is under contract through 2027. But nothing is going to change structurally tomorrow.
One way to throw a bone to the fanbase would be to designate Walker for assignment before he makes another appearance. Whether it's Alan Rangel or someone not currently in the organization, there has to be someone who can go out and do slightly better than Walker at this point. Even if they do as poorly as Walker, it's something different.
What shouldn't be lost in this conversation is how much of a professional Walker has been. For much of his time as a Phillie, he's fielded tough questions, and while those come with the territory, he's handled them with class. His teammates do love him. It's often assumed when a player doesn't live up to a big contract that he's mailed it in. That's not the case with Walker. His body has just failed him. His pitches don't have the life that they once did. It's the risk in signing any pitcher to a long-term contract.
Ultimately, though, it's a results-based business. The Phillies have much bigger issues than Walker, but he's actively hurting them every five days. One way to try to turn the page on this losing streak would be to move on from Walker, and it feels like it's time.
