Walker has been markedly uneven, logging four starts for 18.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and 10 walks, and posting a 9.16 ERA and a 2.036 WHIP. He has been especially vulnerable in the first inning, carrying a 24.75 ERA in 2026 after allowing 11 runs and three homers.
By using an opener, the Phillies hope to minimize early trouble and allow Walker to settle in later in the game. Walker has shown more success as a reliever, posting a 3.92 ERA in 21 relief appearances, suggesting the canny use of an opener could help him regain form.
This usage comes in the fourth year of Walker’s four-year, $72 million contract with Philadelphia, a period during which he has largely underperformed. He has posted a 5.08 ERA in 88 Phillies games (398.2 innings) overall, reinforcing the idea that a different role could be beneficial.
With Zach Pop on the injured list with a strained right calf, Philadelphia must identify an opening pitcher. Candidates include Chase Shugart, Seth Johnson, Tanner Banks or Tim Mayza, with Banks the only one with prior opening experience. Banks has six starts since 2023 between the White Sox and Phillies, including notably strong first-inning numbers, though his overall starter results have been mixed.
If the opener arrangement yields positive results, it could become a more regular feature of Philadelphia’s approach to Walker and the roster, potentially shaping how the team manages its rotation going forward. The plan remains contingent on how Wednesday’s game unfolds and how the bullpen performs in the opener role.
