Donovan

Walton

Walton was up with the Phillies for a handful of contests in late September while Trea Turner was sidelined with a hamstring ailment. The 31-year-old journeyman utility infielder has spent the majority of the past few years at the Triple-A level and will likely have to settle for a minor league contract this offseason.

Walton had been designated for assignment earlier in the week, but he passed through waivers unclaimed and will continue to function as extra infield depth in the upper minors for the Phillies.

Walton became expandable after Edmundo Sosa was activated off the injured list. The 31-year-old infielder will likely remain in the Philadelphia organization with just five days left in the regular season.

Walton fortifies Philadelphia’s bench mix after both Trea Turner (hamstring) and Alec Bohm (shoulder) hit the injured list prior to Monday’s game against the Mets.

Hard not to assume that Trea Turner is going on the IL with his hamstring strain. Unless someone else is hurt, too, Garrett Stubbs might also be out of a job because of Turner’s injury, as the Phillies probably figure having an extra infielder is more important than a third catcher now.

There’s no room for Walton with New York’s overcrowded infield mix so they’ve decided to ship him to the division-rival Phillies where he’ll have more of an opportunity to get back to the big leagues. The 31-year-old utility specialist has only appeared in just nine major-league games over the last three years. He’s merely organizational fodder at this juncture of his career.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made it official that Reed Garrett, José Butto and Danny Young will open the year in New York’s bullpen. The decision to jettison Walton leaves Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña as the Mets’ primary bench options, but they haven’t officially made the team yet, added Mendoza. It also means that A.J. Minter and Dedniel Nuñez are probably headed to the injured list.

Adding some infield depth. Walton, 30, finished last season in the majors with the Giants, going 3-for-22 with a homer. He previously hit .306/.380/.441 in 99 games for Triple-A Sacramento.

The 30-year-old infielder passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain with the Giants on the minor league side for the time being. Walton appeared in just nine games with the Giants during the 2024 season, slashing .136/.240/.273 with one homer, two RBI and a 7/2 K/BB ratio over 25 plate appearances.

Fitzgerald will end up missing the entire series against the Padres while dealing with tightness in his lower back. The 27-year-old will get at least one more day of recovery with Donovan Walton starting at second base and Brett Wisley handling shortstop.