After getting a late start to his spring training, Philadelphia Phillies starter Taijuan Walker has had some setbacks. It started with “normal” knee soreness, which delayed his build-up. After some rough starts, things got worse, as he reported his shoulder not feeling right during a bullpen session this past weekend.

The right-hander got checked out, and according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Walker is suffering from a shoulder impingement and will open the season on the injured list.

After not throwing a single inning in the 2023 postseason, the 31-year-old Walker had opened up his spring campaign pitching to a 15.43 ERA over 4 2/3 innings in his two starts. The competition for the last rotation spot quickly shifted off the back of the young Cristopher Sánchez and onto the veteran Walker.

It’s never a good thing to have an injury this close to Opening Day, especially to the rotation. That being said, the Phillies were prepared for it. Late in the offseason, there was a definite focus on building starting pitching depth.

The final rotation spot will ultimately need to be filled before April 3, the sixth game of the season, as there is sufficient rest for Zack Wheeler to throw on his normal program for Game 5 versus the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies front office and management luckily have several different routes available to them, as well as the reassurance of a below-average schedule during the first month of the season.

It is important for the Phillies to get off to a quick start as the schedule plays into their favor. They play a multitude of .500 or below teams during the first month of the season. With high hopes and championship aspirations, look for manager Rob Thomson and the Phillies to try and find something that works quickly.

What’s the best course of action with Opening Day right around the corner? That depends on who you ask. Here are four possible options the Phillies should consider to replace Taijuan Walker in the rotation.

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Sign free agent starter Jordan Montgomery

Most Phillies fans eyes just lit up.

An obvious answer to a self-inflicted problem would be to sign the best pitcher remaining in free agency, Jordan Montgomery. This pitcher also isn’t just what the scraps left over from the rest of the league’s pickings, it is a guy with a career 3.68 ERA coming off an impressive postseason run that ended up putting a ring on his finger.

The storyline makes sense. The 31-year-old has been sitting in free agency waiting for a deal all offseason. The Phillies are coming off two deep postseason runs and are in the prime of their championship window, where they don’t want to roll over on any seasons.

During the latter parts of the offseason, there seemed to be interest in a short-term or even one-year deal between the Phillies and Montgomery, but nothing has come of that.

“They have a reluctance to jump over that third tier of the luxury tax.”

— @JSalisburyNBCS explains why the Phillies are not pursuing free-agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery pic.twitter.com/7JGD58UExl

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) March 25, 2024

With the team’s reluctance to go over the third luxury tax threshold, it is unlikely that the longtime Yankee will end up in red pinstripes. It also doesn’t make sense as a response move to the Walker injury.

Without a spring training, Montgomery would likely take two to three weeks to ramp up and have the ability to pitch in major league games. Even at that point, it’s unlikely that he would be able to give more than four to five innings for the first month.

On that timeline, Walker would be back in the rotation ready to go, as he will be able to start throwing again sometime next week. If the Phillies were going to sign Montgomery, it would be something that is done on its own, not as a replacement or fill-in for Walker.

That being said, it’s never bad to add a World Series winner to a team with World Series aspirations. The final verdict will be if the front office thinks this move will put the team over the top and get them closer to the ultimate goal of bringing a title back to Philadelphia.

Promote Mick Abel up to the majors

It seems like Mick Abel has been one of the Phillies top prospects for half a decade now, but the kid could get his chance to shine in 2024.

The former first-round draft pick from 2020 has been the No. 2 prospect in the Phillies organization since he debuted in 2021, playing second fiddle to guys like Spencer Howard, Bryson Stott, and now Andrew Painter. Entering his age 22 season, Abel looks ready to make an impact with the major league club.

Solid inning for @mickabel13 in his first Spring Training appearance 👀

1 IP | 2 K pic.twitter.com/eV9gUiqu64

— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) February 25, 2024

While he only pitched 2 2/3 innings in 2024 spring training, he looked very polished, finding edges and striking hitters out without allowing any runs. He even baffled one of the premiere hitters, Juan Soto. His stuff speaks for itself, as he has punched out 328 hitters in only 266 innings across his minor league career, leading to an 11.1 strikeout per nine.

The lack of free agent pitcher signings and trades suggests that the Phillies think Abel can produce at the top level this year. Not offering a significant deal to Montgomery could indicate that they expect to use someone like Spencer Turnbull for the first part of the season until the young pitcher is ready and then turn him loose.

The Oregon native won’t be on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster but can quickly find a path to the majors if pitchers like Turnbull, Sánchez, or Walker struggle in their early outings. In a league where young, power-pitching arms have become a dominant force, the Phillies have one waiting in the wings, itching for the opportunity to make his major league debut.

Abel has a plus fastball and a left-turn slider that could make him very dominant against opposition hitters with no experience against him and little analytics.

Use an opener or swing-man out of the bullpen

If the Phillies can’t find success with any of the other options, they have a ton of depth that could give solid innings with some help from pitching coach Caleb Cotham and staff.

The 2023 season is a strong example of this, as the team opened the season with newly extended lefty reliever Matt Strahm as the fifth starter. Over 10 games, Strahm collected a 4.05 ERA as opposed to his 2.82 ERA out of the bullpen the rest of the year. It’s unlikely that they repeat this tactic, but you never know.

While the former San Diego Padre might be too valuable to remove from the recently ranked No. 1 bullpen in baseball, there are other players within the organization that have starting pitching experience.

David Buchanan returned this offseason from the KBO after four solid seasons with the Lions. There, he earned a career ERA of 3.02 with a season-low ERA of 2.54 over 188 innings last year. The 34-year-old could bring some experience to the fifth starter position.

There is also Kolby Allard, a former top-five prospect for the Atlanta Braves who has spent the majority of his career pitching with the Texas Rangers. He is another arm who offers former top-end potential and a coachability factor that could lead the coaching staff to trust him.

Finally, there is always the option of an opener. Pitchers like Connor Brogdon, Michael Mercado, and Nick Nelson all fit the bill. While they are not on the active roster at the moment, rotation struggles in early April could lead to a quick change in strategy for the Phils.

Insert Spencer Turnbull into Walker’s spot

Spencer Turnbull, an under-the-radar, pre-spring training signing, could end up being the Phillies’ best option for a No. 5 starter to begin the year.

Turnbull, 31, spent his first six seasons in Detroit pitching to some pretty good numbers. His career ERA sits at 4.55 but includes his rookie campaign, where his ERA was over 6.00, as well as his first few starts back from his Tommy John surgery last season, where he struggled.

Before the injury to his throwing arm, however, the 6-foot-3 right-hander was beginning to find his own, sitting at a 2.88 ERA while also turning in one of the top moments from the 2021 season when he threw a no-hitter.

.@spencerturnbull has thrown the first @tigers no-hitter since Justin Verlander in 2011. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yLkMwbpAQ0

— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2021

In his first spring training with the Phillies, Turnbull looked great pitching eight innings and striking out 12 while only allowing two earned runs. In his final start versus the Yankees, he caught Aaron Judge looking on a dotted curveball while also getting Giancarlo Stanton swinging over a nasty slider.

It looks likely that manager Rob Thomson will turn the ball over to Turnbull as the fifth starter to begin the season, as he will be the most comfortable in the role. According to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Turnbull recently spoke highly about the Phillies organization, saying that the Phillies keep treatments, techniques, and equipment all readily available to him, which allows him to be more free on the mound and dialed in.

If the Phillies can get Turnbull back to the condition he was in pre-Tommy John surgery, the Mississippi native could become one of the more reliable back-end rotation pieces in MLB.