Taijuan Walker was lifted after allowing two runs in three innings Friday against the Cubs.
Walker experienced some shoulder stiffness in leaving his last start early, but the exit today was a result of him needing 86 pitches to get his nine outs. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four before departing. If Cristopher Sánchez proves healthy, Walker will likely soon move to middle relief to make room for Ranger Suárez in the rotation. First, he’ll probably get one more start against the Nationals next week.