Mick Abel, the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect, has been sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the team seeks to help him regain his form. Abel’s recent performance in Game 1 of a doubleheader led to this decision. Manager Rob Thomson stated, “I thought Mick just needed to go down and breathe a little bit. Just get a little reset. It’s not uncommon.”
Taijuan Walker will rejoin the Phillies’ rotation for Tuesday’s game in San Francisco, with expectations of pitching approximately four innings. The team will reassess their rotation needs before their next requirement for a fifth starter on July 22 against the Red Sox.
Aaron Nola is making progress but won’t start a Minor League rehab assignment until after the All-Star break. Options for filling the rotation gap include Walker getting another start, Abel returning, or Andrew Painter debuting.
Painter recently pitched for Lehigh Valley, allowing four runs off seven hits over five innings while striking out seven and walking one. Thomson commented on Painter’s performance: “Four really good innings… But he got a lot of swing-and-miss in the other four innings.”
Walker is set to make his ninth start of the season after moving between starting and bullpen roles due to injuries within the team. Thomson explained that Walker’s return to starting was driven by necessity: “Just need, really… He always considers himself a starter and ultimately wants to start.”
Abel aims to recapture his early-season success at Lehigh Valley where he had a 6-2 record with a 2.21 ERA over ten starts earlier this year. His initial MLB debut was strong but has since struggled with consistency.
Thomson expressed confidence in Abel’s ability to rebound: “Just get his confidence back and be able to get through tough situations… We just need to get back to that guy.” The Phillies hope this move benefits both their short-term rotation needs and long-term roster strategy.
