Mick Abel couldn't sustain his sublime major league debut and is headed to the minors. Taijuan Walker is back in Philadelphia's rotation. And anticipation that prized prospect Andrew Painter could be headed to the Phillies will stretch past the All-Star break.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson called Mick Abel into his office Friday morning and let him know he was being optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley. “I think he understood,” Thomson said. “And I think he’s going to go down there,

Walker will start Tuesday at San Francisco. He could pitch four innings or so. Then, during the All-Star break, the Phillies will reassess.