Mariners top pitching prospect Taijuan Walker was scheduled to make one final rehab start on Tuesday at Triple-A Tacoma before joining the major league starting rotation. But that plan can now be torched.
MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports that Walker had to be scratched from his start at Tacoma on Tuesday night due to stiffness in his throwing shoulder -- the same joint that landed him on the disabled list at the end of spring training. Johns says Walker simply “couldn’t get loose” before the outing. The talented 21-year-old will likely be flown to Seattle for tests.
Walker posted a promising 2.93 ERA, 1.196 WHIP, and 10.2 K/9 in 141 1/3 innings last season between Double-A and Triple-A, and he struck out 10 batters over five scoreless innings in a rehab outing last week.