Orion Kerkering, who has been sidelined all season with a right forearm strain and an illness, is set to make two more rehab appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Kerkering will pitch on Tuesday and Thursday before being activated from the 15-day injured list.
If Kerkering completes these rehab outings without any setbacks, he is expected to rejoin the Phillies bullpen during their upcoming homestand this weekend, which marks the start of a 10-game stretch at home.
The Phillies' bullpen has struggled this season, posting a 5.73 ERA, which ranks as the fifth worst in baseball.
Once Kerkering returns, he could eventually find himself in high-leverage situations, although the team may initially ease him back into action given his extended absence.
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Taijuan Walker is scheduled to start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday night, aiming to throw between 60 to 65 pitches, according to manager Rob Thomson's update on Monday.
The right-handed pitcher has been out of action since the final weekend of spring training due to a shoulder impingement, which has caused pinching pain in his joint.
Thomson has outlined a plan for Walker's return, indicating the Phillies will gradually increase his workload by 15-pitch increments over three or four starts during his minor-league assignment, which can last for up to 30 days.
Given this structured approach, there is a possibility that Walker could rejoin the Phillies' starting rotation by the first week of May, provided his recovery progresses as expected during his rehab outings.
Spencer Turnbull, who took over Walker's slot in the rotation, pieced together another solid outing on Monday, so Thomson and the Phillies could have a difficult decision to make should Turnbull continue to excel in the rotation.
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Brandon Marsh is currently boasting an impressive .310 batting average accompanied by a robust 145 RC+ (Runs Created Plus). However, his elevated strikeout rate of 35.5% raises some concerns about his overall offensive consistency.
On the flip side, Nick Castellanos has endured a challenging start to the season, hitting a mere .114 across ten games with a discouraging -0.6 WAR, making it the lowest offensive contribution on the roster. It's worth noting that Castellanos' struggles are partially attributed to an unusually low BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) of .160 compared to the league average of .280. This indicates that while his performance hasn't been up to par, a portion of his difficulties can be attributed to unfavorable luck rather than solely performance-related issues.
