Taijuan Walker will start for D-backs vs. Tigers on Wednesday
Jun 13, 2017, 2:35 PM | Updated: Jun 14, 2017, 9:17 am
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taijuan Walker delivers to Colorado Rockies' DJ LeMahieu in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 7, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Seven days after pitching a five-inning simulation game at Salt River Fields, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taijuan Walker will make his return from a blister-induced DL stint Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers.
Torey Lovullo has announced the #Dbacks rotation for the rest of this week:
Wednesday: Walker
Friday: Corbin
Saturday: Godley
Sunday: Ray— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 13, 2017
With the move, reliever Randall Delgado will return to the bullpen after making four starts in a row for Arizona.
Delgado allowed seven earned runs in 20 innings pitched over the course of his four starts, but Arizona went 1-3 in those games. Only one of the losses was on Delgado’s record.
Walker went on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger after a May 19 start at San Diego.
Prior to the setback, he went 4-3 in nine starts with a 3.46 ERA.
Walker’s simulated game last Wednesday went well, though he was still wearing tape on his finger.
The 64 pitches in that session against minor league players in the Angels’ system was Walker’s third attempted tune-up after a 20-pitch bullpen session and then a three-inning simulated game prior.
Walker said the time off allowed him to fine-tune his mechanics.
“I thought it was the best I’ve felt all year,” he said last week after the game.
To make room for Walker, the D-backs optioned relief pitcher Silvino Bracho to Triple-A.
