Phillies shake up rotation and bullpen, including return of prospect Mick Abel, amid losing streak

The Philadelphia Phillies, fresh off three straight losses and a blowout defeat Saturday (MIL 17, PHI 7), have shaken up a bullpen that ranks 25th in baseball with a 4.58 ERA. The team announced a series of roster moves and roster decisions prior to Sunday afternoon’s series finale with the Milwaukee Brewers (GameTracker). Here’s the news:

• RHP José Ruiz designated for assignment
• RHP Seth Johnson called up from Triple-A
• RHP Taijuan Walker moving into a one-inning relief role
• RHP Mick Abel replaces Walker in the rotation

Walker moved back into the rotation when Aaron Nola hit the injured list on May 15, and he allowed four runs in four innings against the Brewers on Friday. His 3.62 ERA as a starter this year and the under-the-hood numbers are surprisingly solid, though he has a tough time going through a lineup multiple times effectively at this point in his career, so the Phillies will try him as a short reliever.

“My goal is to help any way I can,” Walker said earlier this weekend (via The Athletic). “I’m pretty confident in my stuff. With this new slider, I feel pretty confident in it. If I have one inning to blow it out, whatever it is, I feel like my stuff would play up just a little bit more. Knowing that I got one inning, just let it eat.”

For what it’s worth, Walker has been most effective within the first 25 pitches of an outing this season. He’s held hitters to a .564 OPS with a 4.3 K/BB ratio in his first 25 pitches. It is a .740 OPS and 1.7 K/BB ratio from pitch 26 on. Also, Walker has worked as a long man when in the bullpen in the past. In short one-inning stints, his velocity could jump a tick or two.

Abel, one of Philadelphia’s better prospects, dazzled in his MLB debut earlier this month, striking out nine in six shutout innings. He has a 2.21 ERA in 10 Triple-A starts and seems to have reined in the control problems that plagued him last season. At this point, Abel has a much higher upside than Walker, and he’s earned himself a longer look at the MLB level.

Ruiz has allowed 14 runs and 27 baserunners in 14 ⅓ innings this year, numbers that usually get you dropped from the roster. The Phillies acquired Johnson in the Gregory Soto trade with the Baltimore Orioles last year. He has an unsightly 5.52 ERA since moving to the bullpen in Triple-A last month, but he’s also struck out 20 in 14 ⅔ innings, and hit 99 mph with his heater.

Philadelphia’s bullpen ranks 13th in average fastball velocity this season and that was with hard-throwing José Alvarado available for 45 of the team’s 58 games. Alvarado was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance on May 18. Since then, the Phillies rank 19th in average reliever fastball velocity. If nothing else, Johnson will bring gas to the bullpen.

Saturday’s blowout loss was anomaly. Jesús Luzardo, who has been so dominant this year, got blasted for 12 runs in 3 ⅓ innings, and that just isn’t something that will happen often (or ever again, likely). Ruiz surrendered the other five runs and he’s off the roster now. Still, the bullpen has been a liability. The Phillies want to find out if Johnson and Walker can steady things.

In other Phillies news, Bryce Harper expects to play Tuesday, per The Athletic. He has not played since taking a pitch to the elbow last Tuesday. There was some thought Harper could return this weekend against the Brewers, though that didn’t happen, and the team has an off-day Monday. This early in the season, there’s no sense in rushing back from injury.

The three-game losing streak has dropped the Phillies to 36-22 on the season. They are tied atop the NL East with the New York Mets (-110 to win the division, per Caesars). The Mets, Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all tied for the NL’s best record at 36-22.