Mick Abel had all of Philadelphia buzzing on Sunday afternoon. The former first-rounder made a statement in his MLB debut, striking out nine over six scoreless innings, going toe-to-toe with top Pirates prospect Paul Skenes, and leading the Phillies to a tight 1-0 win. It was a special moment for the 22-year-old, who’s had his share of ups and downs in the minors, and a much-needed lift for a Phillies team dealing with the fallout of Jose Alvarado’s 80-game suspension.
So of course, the next day, the Phillies sent Abel right back to Triple-A. Yep — seriously.
Despite his stellar outing, Philly demoted Abel to Lehigh Valley on Monday, calling up Max Lazar in his place.
The move comes as the Phillies’ pitching staff is looking shakier by the day. Along with Alvarado’s suspension (which also makes him ineligible for the postseason), Aaron Nola recently landed on the injured list with an ankle issue. Abel’s dominant debut felt like the perfect answer for president Dave Dombrowski — a top prospect ready to hold the rotation together until Nola returns.
Instead, the team opted for experience — even if that experience hasn’t exactly been comforting.
In a puzzling move, the Phillies are giving the ball to Taijuan Walker over Abel. With Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo set to start Monday and Tuesday in Colorado, the team could have easily slotted Abel in for another outing Friday against Oakland by keeping Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler on normal rest for Wednesday and Thursday.
Instead, Walker — a familiar face and not always for the best reasons — will get the nod Wednesday. Sure, his numbers this year look solid on paper (2.62 ERA across eight outings), but they mask some of the underlying issues. He’s still a fringe arm, one who struggles to work deep into games and whose track record over the last couple of years is, frankly, spotty at best.
Despite Abel’s electric debut and clear upside, the Phillies are sticking with the veteran. Yes, they’re in the middle of a 10-game stretch without a break, but the rotation could’ve easily stayed on track without burning anyone out. This feels like a clear decision to favor Walker over Abel — and it’s not an easy one to wrap your head around.
Sure, Abel still has adjustments to make as big-league hitters get more tape on him, but Walker isn’t exactly setting a high bar. Given that this was likely only going to be a short-term fill-in until Nola is back, the move raises even more questions. Abel offers much more upside, and it’s hard to see what the Phillies gain here — other than confusing a lot of fans.
