Who will be the fifth starter? The Phillies have time to decide, and options to consider

SAN FRANCISCO — With the All-Star break nearly upon them, the Phillies have some extra time to determine who their fifth starter will be for the next turn in the rotation.

After Mick Abel was sent down to triple-A Lehigh Valley and tasked with rediscovering his command, Taijuan Walker stepped back into the rotation on Tuesday against the Giants.

Walker, on a pitch limit of about 60, threw four innings and allowed one run. He walked two and struck out three. Walker had been in the bullpen since June 5, for what Phillies manager Rob Thomson had planned to be a permanent role change. But necessity brought him back to the rotation, at least for one start.

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“I love starting. I still think I’m a starter. So to get the opportunity again felt good,” Walker said. “And then to go the four innings that we had kind of talked about was good.”

Walker said he feels more accustomed to the uncertainty as he has bounced between the rotation and bullpen several times this season.

“I think the biggest thing was just getting a good routine, and I think I’ve kind of found that routine now,” he said. “Even in between starting or relieving or whatever, my catch play, and my flat grounds and stuff, I kind of have a pretty good routine right now that I’m just going to keep the rest of the year.”

Aaron Nola eventually will return from the injured list, so if Thomson wants to give Walker long-term stability in his role, that likely means a return to the bullpen. And that would also leave an opening for the Phillies’ fifth starter later this month.

When the Phillies return from the All-Star break to host the Angels on July 18, they will be past the halfway point of the month and within range of Dave Dombrowski’s expected “July-ish” timeline for top prospect Andrew Painter’s debut.

Thomson has also said repeatedly, however, that Painter will have to earn his major league debut, just like any other player.

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Painter’s stat line in his latest start Tuesday for triple-A Lehigh Valley doesn’t exactly jump off the page. Painter threw 5⅓ innings against the Syracuse Mets and gave up eight hits — including three homers — and one walk. He was charged with five runs.

Painter is scheduled to start again Sunday and will be shut down through the All-Star break for rest. He was named to the MLB Futures Game roster as one of the Phillies’ representatives alongside catcher Eduardo Tait, but he will not pitch at the game in Atlanta.

Abel, meanwhile, is scheduled to start Thursday in his first appearance for the IronPigs since being demoted.

“I think he’s going to go down there, he’s going to get back what he had, and he’s going to be a better pitcher for it,” Thomson said after Abel was optioned.

Nola remains a ways from returning as he continues his rehab from the stress fracture in his rib at the Phillies’ facilities in Clearwater, Fla. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, which Thomson said went well, and is scheduled to do so again Saturday.

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“Then we’ll go from there,” Thomson said.

Nola could face live hitters after that, depending on how he recovers. But he still would need to complete a rehab assignment and get stretched out again before he can rejoin the rotation.

Thomson said Orion Kerkering came in sore on Tuesday, which is why he was unavailable in the 4-3 walk-off loss to the Giants. Kerkering was fine on Wednesday, Thomson said. … Reliever José Alvarado has continued working out and throwing as he serves his 80-game suspension for PED use. He is eligible to return to the Phillies on Aug. 19, but is permitted to complete a rehab assignment before that. Thomson said that while he is not in regular contact with Alvarado, others in the Phillies organization are. … Following Thursday’s off day, Ranger Suárez (7-2, 1.99 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against San Diego on Friday. The Padres haven’t released their rotation plans for the series.