Walker set to test blister with bullpen session on Saturday
Right-hander Taijuan Walker will test the blister on his right index finger on Saturday when he’s scheduled to throw a bullpen session, his first step what he hopes will be a return late next week from the disabled list.
Walker went on the 10-day DL on Sunday after he continued to be bothered by the blister when throwing a bullpen session in San Diego. The bullpen he’ll throw on Saturday will be his first since then.
“The blister feels good,” Walker said. “It’s not bad. It still needs to heal a little bit more, but we’re going to take care of it. It should be good.”
Assuming all goes well, Walker said that would put him in line to take his next scheduled start next weekend against the Marlins.
Walker was long-tossing in the Miller Park outfield prior to Thursday’s game. He said he’s been staying on a throwing program, only keeping his blister wrapped.
“The biggest step is throwing the bullpen without it covered,” he said, “and throwing all my pitches and seeing if that feels good.”
If it feels good, he said, the plan is to throw a simulated game on Monday or Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
As for who will take his place in the rotation on Monday, manager Torey Lovullo said right-hander Randall Delgado, who threw four innings in a spot start on Wednesday, is again a candidate to start, but he said the club wasn’t ready to make a decision.
“We certainly love what Randall did; he did a great job,” Lovullo said of Delgado’s outing against the White Sox, in which he gave up two runs (one earned) in four innings.
Greinke, Counsell exchange pre-series texts
Craig Counsell has seen Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke pitch well – and pitch well at Miller Park for extended periods – but the Milwaukee Brewers manager gave his former teammate a hard time about that success coming to an end this weekend.
“I offered some suggestions to him on how he might not perform as well here on Saturday night,” Counsell said, referring to a recent text message exchange with Greinke.
Greinke, who has a 2.82 ERA through eight starts and leads the league with 78 strikeouts, has a history of pitching well in Milwaukee. In 27 games (26 starts) at Miller Park, he has a 3.07 ERA with 197 strikeouts in 1671⁄3 innings.
The Brewers, however, feature one of the majors’ more potent lineups, averaging 5.2 runs per game, second-best in the NL.
Counsell said he always enjoys talking baseball with Greinke, who has a “different perspective” on things than most people do.
“He usually gives you something you haven’t heard before and a different way to look at things,” said Counsell, who had two stints as a player with the Diamondbacks, with whom he won the World Series in 2001. “That makes you think about things a little differently. I always appreciate that.”
Short hop
» Left fielder Yasmany Tomas was out of the starting lineup again on Thursday, a day after he was scratched due to hip flexor tightness. Lovullo said Tomas was going to go through pregame drills at which point the club would determine whether he’d be available off the bench.