Mariners notebook: Looking for consistency from Taijuan Walker
May 30, 2016, 1:43 PM | Updated: 2:20 pm
Coming off 7 1/3 innings of one earned-run ball against the A’s on May 23, Taijuan Walker looked poised to take a step forward.
He made a concerted effort during that outing to get back to his fastball and he had success doing so. Sunday, however, we saw a number of those fastballs fouled off. We also saw Walker go to his No. 4 pitch, the slider, in a 1-0 count against a dangerous hitter in Miguel Sano, only to see it blasted out of the park. Manager Scott Servais pulled Walker from the game in the 5th inning, with the 23-year-old’s pitch count at 95 and having allowed three home runs.
Needless to say, not a step forward. But also not unexpected for a young player, according to Servais.
“It’s going to happen, especially with young pitchers,” Servais said. “He was on a great run earlier in the season and it kind of looked like he was ready to take the next step. Sometimes you have to a step back and then two forward until you get to the point where the consistency is really there all the time. It’s hard to be a top-notch, consistent guy in this league; that’s why those guys get the contracts they get. They are hard to come by.”
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Walker was not happy with the performance and sought out pitching coach Mel Stottlemyer Jr. in the clubhouse after the game to go over where the outing went wrong.
“It’s continuing education with him,” Stottlemyre said. “He keeps learning but I have to keep reminding him to not get too far away from his fastball. It’s his best pitch. We’ve talked about developing the other pitches and when to use them. (Sunday) didn’t warrant him from getting away from them, and he did. So he’s a little upset with himself, but he realizes it and I would just like to see him make some better in-game adjustments when it counts.”
Notes:
• Shortstop Ketel Marte hit in the cages off live pitching for the second day in a row and remains on target to return from the disabled list June 6. He will be sent to Triple-A Tacoma Tuesday to begin his rehab assignment.
• Center fielder Leonys Martin is progressing as well and should be able to take batting practice on the road. He will travel with the team but will need a rehab game or two to test his legs at game speed before returning to the club.
• Servais tapped utility player Shawn O’Malley to start at shortstop Monday. Even when shortstop Luis Sardinas was called up to replace Marte, Servais said Sardinas would not be starting every day and that O’Malley would continue to see some time at short. While O’Malley doesn’t possess Sardinas’ slick fielding abilities, Servais likes other aspects of his game.
“Shawn does bring energy to our club,” Servais said. “He finds a way. The bunt, aggressive on the bases – he usually does something in the course of the game. That’s just the kind of player he is. He’s fired up to get in there.”
While the team did not take batting practice on the field today, O’Malley was out early to take grounders at shortstop from third-base coach Manny Acta.
• With Martin out, outfielder Franklin Gutierrez has seen more at-bats against right-handed pitchers. After playing three straight days, he was held out of the lineup Monday, but most likely will be in there Tuesday against Padres righty James Shields.
“His splits are not bad at all,” Servais said of Gutierrez. “He’s hit right-handed pitching in his career; it’s a good option for us to have.”
Guti also appears to be heating up at the plate. He is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak where he is batting .400, with a double and three home runs.