Walker could rejoin Phillies’ rotation Sunday, Suarez progressing

LOS ANGELES — Taijuan Walker could be back this weekend and Ranger Suarez might not be too far behind.

Suarez (lower back spasms) threw 20-to-25 pitches in a bullpen session Monday afternoon in the sweltering heat at Dodger Stadium. He will not be back during the Phillies’ road trip but is trending in the right direction.

“(He feels) a lot better, a lot better,” manager Rob Thomson said. “If he was kind of in the same place or not getting better, we would have done a touch-and-feel (throwing session) yesterday. But because he was feeling a lot better, we moved it to today and it’s more intensity in an actual bullpen.”

Suarez has been out since July 22 and missed two starts. He’ll miss another this week when the spot comes up again to begin a four-game series in Arizona. That start will go to either Kolby Allard or a right-handed opener. The Phillies used Orion Kerkering in front of Allard Saturday in Seattle.

Walker is likely to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation Sunday against the Diamondbacks. He will make his second rehab start Tuesday night with Triple A Lehigh Valley and is set to throw 60-to-65 pitches. That would put him on track for 80-ish pitches if he returns on Sunday.

“His velocity was up to 93 his last start,” Thomson said. “Hopefully he can maintain that because if he’s 93, and the split was really good … it’s a good sign.”

The Phillies would be thrilled if those two developments translate back to the majors because Walker was in the 90-91 mph range with his fastball and could not command his splitter before hitting the injured list on June 23 with a blister. His opponents went 25-for-60 (.417) against the split with seven doubles and three home runs compared to .210 a season ago.