Phillies Part Ways With Taijuan Walker After Historic Struggles

The Philadelphia Phillies have released struggling right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker.

Walker has struggled in Wednesday's loss to the Cubs, coming in the second inning of the game behind opener Kyle Backhus, giving up eight hits, two home runs, and four earned runs in four innings to put his ERA at 9.13 and a 2.04 WHIP on the season.

A Costly End to the $72 Million Era

Walker signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Phillies on Dec. 15, 2022, but outside of a few good months in his first season, he never really was the pitcher the Phillies were hoping for.

In 89 games with the Phillies, Walker posted a 5.13 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in 402.2 innings over 89 games pitched.

During his time in Philadelphia, he only appeared in one postseason game, in 2025 against the Dodgers, where he pitched in 0.2 innings, giving up a run.

Before Thursday's game in Chicago, the Phillies recalled right-handed pitcher Nolan Hoffman from triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room on the 26-man roster, right-handed pitcher Alan Rangel was optioned to Lehigh Valley following last night’s game.