| Date | News | Comment |
| Jun 17 2025 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Tuesday's 13-3 win over the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has hit safely in 10 of 14 games in June, but this was just his second multi-hit effort of the month. He's added three homers and 10 RBI while batting .241 (13-for-54) over that span. He's had a relatively unimpressive first season with the Astros so far, slashing .216/.282/.371 with 10 homers, 35 RBI, 30 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple and no stolen bases over 70 contests. Despite his numbers being worse across the board than in any of his previous full major-league seasons, he's still locked in as Houston's starting first baseman. |
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| Jun 15 2025 | Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's troubles at the plate have continued in June with a .678 OPS through 12 games, and he'll sit Sunday after starting the previous 14 contests. Victor Caratini will take over at first base for the series finale versus Minnesota. |
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| Jun 11 2025 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBI in Wednesday's 10-2 win against the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker helped Houston get off to a fast start with a two-run blast to left field in the first inning. He added a two-run double in the third to finish with a season-high four RBI. Walker has largely struggled so far during his first campaign in Houston, and even after Wednesday's big performance he still holds a modest .653 OPS through 65 games. If that mark holds, it would be his lowest OPS since 2018 and his first time below an .800 mark since 2021. |
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| Jun 4 2025 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker broke a scoreless tie with his eighth home run of the year in the seventh inning. Though interrupted by a brief absence after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, Walker has gone yard three times in his last seven games. While his power production is ticking up, Walker has hit only .226 across the last month while striking out at a 25 percent clip. |
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| May 30 2025 | Walker (hand) is starting at first base and hitting cleanup Friday against the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He exited Wednesday's game after getting hit on the hand by a pitch, but X-rays were negative and he just needed one day off before getting back in the mix. Walker is hitting .229 with three home runs in 25 games this month. |
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| May 29 2025 | Walker (hand) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had to make an early departure from Wednesday's contest after taking a pitch off his right hand. X-rays came back negative after the game, but the team will give him a day to recover from any lingering soreness that might still be bothering him. As a result, Victor Caratini will fill in at first base Thursday and bat fourth. |
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| May 28 2025 | X-rays on Walker's right hand came back negative after he was hit by a pitch during Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker remained in the game immediately after getting plunked in the fourth inning but was eventually replaced in the sixth. He appears to have escaped the incident without suffering any significant damage, so while the Astros may give him a day or two off to recover, he shouldn't need to miss extended time. |
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| May 25 2025 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's win over Seattle. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker put Houston on the board with an RBI single in the third inning before coming up clutch late. The veteran slugger ripped a walk-off, two-run shot in the ninth inning for his sixth home run of the year. He's produced two straight multi-hit games after going 3-for-27 (.111) in his previous seven appearances. Walker is now slashing .212/.275/.354 with 23 RBI and 15 extra-base hits through 218 plate appearances. |
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| May 17 2025 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a walk and a three-run home run in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first baseman put an exclamation point on a six-run rally by Houston in the seventh inning when he crushed a Shawn Armstrong fastball 410 feet to left-center field. Walker snapped an 0-for-16 mini-slump with the performance, while the long ball ended a 15-game homerless drought. The 34-year-old has yet to build much momentum to begin his tenure as an Astro, and through 180 plate appearances he's slashing just .210/.283/.358 with five homers, 18 RBI and 19 runs. |
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| May 12 2025 | Walker went 2-for-2 with a walk, three RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended his hitting streak to seven games with a strong weekend series. He's struck out only 16.1 percent of the time across 31 plate appearances in that span while hitting .385 with six RBI and four runs scored. Since the start of May, Walker has raised his batting average from .198 to .225. |
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| May 10 2025 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored Friday against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is slowly shaking off his slow start to the season, and he extended his hitting streak to five games with Friday's performance. He's gone 7-for-20 in that span while striking out only 14.3 percent of the time. Walker is still hitting just .213 for the season, though that number is progressively ticking up. |
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| May 4 2025 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a run scored Sunday against the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This wasn't a remarkable performance on the surface, but it marked Walker's fourth multi-hit effort in his last 11 starts. He's gone 12-for-43 in that span, raising his batting average to .200 after an abysmal start to the season. Walker's performance has begun to stabilize, as he also has six extra-base hits with six runs and five RBI in his last 11 games. |
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| Apr 21 2025 | Walker is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker hit his second home run of the season this past weekend against the Padres, but he's just 3-for-26 across his last eight contests and is slashing only .156/.253/.260 on the season. Zach Dezenzo is at first base and hitting ninth for the Astros. |
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| Apr 17 2025 | Walker went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Wednesday against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker hasn't produced much this season, as he's collected only 10 hits across 65 at-bats with two extra-base knocks. He is also hitless across seven of his last nine starts. If there is a positive to take away, Walker has struck out multiple times in only one of his last six games after doing so seven times in his first 11 matchups. |
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| Apr 3 2025 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Thursday's 5-2 win over Minnesota. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had gone just 3-for-24 with no extra-base hits before launching a 402-foot homer off Joe Ryan to lead off the second inning Thursday. The Astros will hope it's the first of many for Walker, who posted an .803 OPS with 26 home runs and 84 RBI in 552 plate appearances with Arizona last season. |
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| Mar 28 2025 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's game against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker dealt with an oblique issue for most of spring training, but he was able to return for Opening Day. He was slotted into the cleanup spot and delivered a one-out single in the third inning to continue a key rally for the Astros. Walker should be a threat for 30 home runs while putting up strong counting stats in his first season in Houston. |
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| Mar 27 2025 | Walker (oblique) will start at first base and bat cleanup in Thursday's season opener versus the Mets, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker didn't make any Grapefruit League appearances after March 2 due to left oblique soreness, but he resumed taking swings in batting practice nearly two weeks ago and was able to get in some competitive at-bats in minor-league games this past weekend. The first baseman also played the field in a simulated game Monday, clearing up most of the concern about his health heading into Opening Day. The Astros are counting on Walker providing some thump in the middle of the order after Houston traded away Kyle Tucker and let Alex Bregman walk in free agency this offseason. |
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| Mar 25 2025 | Walker (oblique) took seven at-bats in a minor-league game Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday's season opener versus the Mets, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old finished spring training having played in just four Grapefruit League games due to the oblique injury. However, Walker is ramping up his rehab work and is expected to be good to go for Thursday's Opening Day matchup with New York. |
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| Mar 24 2025 | Astros manager Joe Espada said that Walker (oblique) played six innings on defense and hit a home run during a simulated game Monday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Espada added that Walker remains on track to be ready to roll for Opening Day on Thursday against the Mets. Walker played only four Grapefruit League contests due to left oblique soreness but has been getting in some at-bats in minor-league games to prep for the start of the regular season. |
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| Mar 21 2025 | Walker (oblique) will get at-bats in minor-league games this weekend and continue to play in minor-league contests when the Astros return to Houston. He remains on track to be ready for Opening Day, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had appeared set to return to Grapefruit League action this weekend, but the Astros have elected to have him play in minor-league games instead. This will allow him to get more at-bats to make up for lost time and also gives the Astros the option to backdate an injured list stint, should he suffer a setback. Walker has played only four Grapefruit League contests due to left oblique soreness. |
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| Mar 16 2025 | Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Walker (oblique) is scheduled to return to spring games next weekend and should be ready for Opening Day, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has been rehabbing from a sore left oblique that developed in early March. He's progressed to hitting in a batting cage, and he appears to be on track to be available for Opening Day barring any setbacks. Walker signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Astros in December after spending the last eight seasons with the Diamondbacks. |
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| Mar 13 2025 | Walker (oblique) hit in the batting cage Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's the first time he's swung a bat since coming down with left oblique soreness last week. Walker has also gone through defensive workouts and is "coming along nicely," per Astros manager Joe Espada. It's not clear when Walker might be ready to play in games, but it shouldn't be long. |
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| Mar 11 2025 | Walker (oblique) will take infield practice Tuesday but has not yet been cleared to swing a bat, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker injured his left oblique a little less than a week ago, but an MRI didn't show a strain and he's easing back into baseball activities. It's not clear when he might be ready to swing a bat and play in games, but he should be able to avoid a stint on the injured list if he can avoid a setback. |
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| Mar 9 2025 | Walker (oblique) said Sunday that he won't swing a bat for a few days before beginning a hitting progression later on next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After being scratched from the lineup last Wednesday due to left oblique soreness, Walker was sent for an MRI, which revealed no strain. He still needs the inflammation in his side to subside before he can fully resume baseball activities, however. Walker should still be ready for the Astros' March 27 season opener versus the Mets, but even if he avoids any further setbacks, he could still be a week or more away from Grapefruit League action. |
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| Mar 7 2025 | Astros manager Joe Espada said Friday that an MRI on Walker's left oblique did not show a "strain or anything that we are concerned about," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Astros are still referring to the injury simply as left oblique soreness, and Walker will return to the team Friday and be eased back into activities. It's as good a news update as the Astros and Walker could have hoped to hear regarding a diagnosis, and it would appear he should be able to avoid the injured list, barring any setbacks. |
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| Mar 6 2025 | Walker said Thursday that he underwent an ultrasound on his left oblique but is waiting for the inflammation to subside before having additional imaging done, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had to be scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Cardinals due to the oblique injury. The first baseman missed five weeks of action for the Diamondbacks with a similar injury during the second half last season, but he said Thursday that his current injury isn't as severe. A stint on the injured list to begin the season remains a distinct possibility, but more will be known about Walker's status following the additional imaging. |
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| Mar 5 2025 | Walker was scratched from Wednesday's lineup versus the Cardinals due to left oblique soreness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The severity is not yet known, but any injury to the oblique is cause for concern. More information on Walker's condition should be available later Wednesday. Jon Singleton will replace Walker in Wednesday's lineup and would also likely take his spot at first base should Walker need time on the injured list at the start of the season. |
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| Dec 20 2024 | The Astros agreed to terms on a three-year, $60 million contract with Walker on Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Astros have their first baseman, which means Isaac Paredes will play third base and Alex Bregman is likely to sign somewhere else. Walker, who turns 34 in March, is the premier defensive first baseman in the game, having won three straight Gold Gloves and boasting the defensive metrics to match. He's also averaged 31.7 home runs over the last three seasons and should provide a boost in the middle of the Astros' lineup, provided he doesn't experience a steep aging curve like Jose Abreu. |
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| Nov 19 2024 | Walker rejected the Diamondbacks' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: If Walker departs via free agency, the Diamondbacks will be in line to receive a draft pick in return. The veteran first baseman slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs over 130 contests this season while winning a third straight Gold Glove. |
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| Nov 4 2024 | The Diamondbacks extended Walker a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: If Walker winds up departing via free agency, the Diamondbacks will net a draft pick. The first baseman won a third straight National League Gold Glove this season while slashing .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs over 130 contests. |
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| Sep 26 2024 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Diamondbacks, who entered the night losers of their last three, were down early when Walker doubled to lead off the second inning and scored the first of three Arizona runs in the frame. He also singled home a run in the fourth. With the Diamondbacks still needing to secure a postseason bid, Walker should be a lineup regular in this weekend's series against the Padres. |
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| Sep 24 2024 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was back in the lineup after getting a day off Sunday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo talked to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports on Monday about giving Walker time off following his return from an oblique injury. "Yesterday I took [Christian] Walker out of the lineup... It's probably about three or four days too late to give him a day off, talking to the medical team," Lovullo said. Walker should be available for the final five games of the season. |
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| Sep 22 2024 | Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Josh Bell will start at first base against right-hander Frankie Montas as Walker sits after going 1-for-13 across the first three games of the series. Walker was hot initially after coming off the injured list in early September, and he's still batting cleanup most days for Arizona. |
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| Sep 17 2024 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's eighth-inning blast cut the deficit to four runs before the Rockies fired back with two more runs of their own. The first baseman has gone 11-for-38 (.289) with three homers and eight RBI over 12 contests since he returned from an oblique injury. It's shaping up to be a strong end of the year for the 33-year-old, who is slashing .257/.344/.487 with 26 homers, 79 RBI, 66 runs scored, 23 doubles and two stolen bases over 119 contests. |
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| Sep 10 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's 6-0 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went back-to-back with Joc Pederson in the first inning and added a two-run blast in the third. This was Walker's first multi-hit effort in six games since he returned from an oblique injury. The first baseman has reached the 25-homer mark for the third year in a row and the fourth time in six years, and he's added a .255/.338/.483 slash line with 76 RBI, 64 runs scored and two stolen bases over 113 contests. |
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| Sep 8 2024 | Walker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will hit the bench for the series finale in Houston after going 2-for-10 with two walks and a double while starting the previous three games. Josh Bell will start at first base and bat cleanup in his place. |
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| Sep 6 2024 | Walker started at first base and went 1-for-4 in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker returned to the starting lineup after a day off Wednesday. He was activated off the injured list Tuesday, and the Diamondbacks are easing him back to action after he missed five weeks with an oblique strain. Walker will eventually resume his role as the team's everyday first baseman. Josh Bell, who started in place of Walker on Wednesday, moved to designated hitter Thursday. |
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| Sep 4 2024 | Walker is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old returned from a five-week absence due to an oblique strain Tuesday and went 1-for-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts in his first game back. Walker will be eased back into things, with Josh Bell making a start at first base Wednesday. |
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| Sep 3 2024 | The Diamondbacks reinstated Walker (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A left oblique strain sent Walker to the injured list at the end of July, and he's now set to reclaim his role as Arizona's everyday first baseman. The 33-year-old slashed .152/.293/.273 with a homer and five RBI across his last 10 games prior to getting hurt, and he may need some time to kick the rust off after not playing in any rehab games. Lourdes Gurriel (calf) was placed on the IL in a corresponding move. |
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| Sep 2 2024 | Walker (oblique) will rejoin the Diamondbacks for this week's series in San Francisco, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It would appear he will be activated from the 10-day injured list during the series, perhaps as soon as Tuesday. Walker has been working out at the team's spring training complex in Arizona and got in some live at-bats over the weekend. The first baseman has been sidelined since late July with a left oblique strain. |
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| Aug 27 2024 | Walker (oblique) participated in batting practice Tuesday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a few days of hitting off a pitching machine, Walker has now checked off another box in his hitting progression. Assuming he's able to get through another several rounds of BP without issue, he could potentially begin playing in simulated games over the weekend. It's unclear if he will require a rehab assignment before returning to the active roster. |
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| Aug 24 2024 | Walker (oblique) recently began hitting against a high-velocity pitching machine, MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who was placed on the 10-day injured list July 30, continues to check off boxes during his rehab. The process began with running, dry swings, hitting off a tee and then progressed to facing soft-toss pitching. Now, after hitting high-velocity pitches from a machine, Walker's next step is live batting practice. |
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| Aug 18 2024 | Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com on Friday that Walker (oblique) is swinging against soft-toss pitching and doing light running. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who landed on the injured list July 30, remains hopeful he'll be ready to go by the three-week mark, which is fast approaching. This coming week marks his potential return. Fortunately for Arizona, the team has covered his absence well with the addition of Josh Bell, and the Diamondbacks don't have to rush Walker back. |
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| Aug 13 2024 | Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Walker (oblique) is now asymptomatic and has begun hitting off a tee, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had been limited to taking dry swings over the past several days while the team waited for the pain in his oblique to dissipate, but he'll now begin ramping up activities. It's still unclear how far away the 33-year-old is from a return to Arizona's lineup, but the acquisition of Josh Bell ahead of the trade deadline will allow the D-backs to approach Walker's rehab with less urgency. |
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| Aug 9 2024 | Walker (oblique) is not yet asymptomatic, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who landed on the 10-day injured list July 30 with a left oblique strain, could pick up a bat next week. The Diamondbacks are cognizant that oblique injuries are tricky for a baseball player and want Walker to be 100 percent before really ramping up. Arizona is getting by at first base with trade deadline acquisition Josh Bell, so the team doesn't need to rush Walker back. |
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| Jul 30 2024 | The Diamondbacks placed Walker on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained left oblique. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will head to the IL for the first time since the 2021 season after he tweaked the oblique muscle during Monday's 9-8 win over the Nationals. The first baseman was diagnosed with a low-grade strain following an MRI and hopes to rejoin the Diamondbacks in about three weeks, per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. In a corresponding move, Pavin Smith was recalled from Triple-A Reno, but it'll likely be trade-acquisition Josh Bell that works as Arizona's primary first baseman for the duration of Walker's absence. |
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| Jul 29 2024 | Walker was forced from Monday's game against the Nationals due to oblique tightness. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The injury was initially labeled as undisclosed after Walker struck out in his first at-bat, but the team later clarified where Walker was ailing. The fact that the injury is to the right-handed hitting Walker's left side is not a great sign, but we'll see what further tests reveal. |
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| Jul 25 2024 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker launched a solo shot off Michael Wacha in the top of the fourth, going back-to-back with Joc Pederson to give Arizona a 3-1 lead. It was the first baseman's 23rd long ball of the campaign and his first since July 4 against the Dodgers. Walker has also driven in at least one run in the last two games, bringing his RBI total up to 17 in the month of July. |
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| Jul 20 2024 | Walker went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's 5-2 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker brought home the eventual winning run with a two-run single in the third inning. The two RBI gave him a team-high 68 over 98 games. Walker is locked in as the Diamondbacks' cleanup hitter and gets plenty of RBI opportunities; he has a .915 OPS with runners in scoring position. |
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| Jul 7 2024 | Walker went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker provided the game-winning knock with a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning. The scorching hot Walker is 15-for-30 with five home runs over the last seven contests and has knocked in 13 runners over the last six. The surge leaves him with 22 home runs (tied for sixth in MLB) and 64 RBI (seventh in the league). |
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| Jul 5 2024 | Walker went 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's win over the Dodgers while also drawing two walks. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was at it again Thursday, going back-to-back with Joc Pederson in the opening frame for the first baseman's first home run of the contest before smacking a two-run shot in his next at-bat. The 33-year-old has now clubbed two home runs in back-to-back games and has gone deep in three consecutive contests overall. Furthermore, Thursday marked his fourth straight game with multiple RBI and his fifth straight game with multiple hits. Over that latter stretch Walker's batting .650 (13-for-20) with five homers, 11 RBI and eight runs scored. |
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| Jul 4 2024 | Walker went 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, two home runs, four RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 12-4 win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who homered in the first game of the series Tuesday, gave Arizona the lead with a two-run homer in the fourth inning then finished off the Dodgers with a two-run shot in the ninth. The first baseman has five home runs in Dodger Stadium this season and 17 in 41 career games at Chavez Ravine. Walker leads the Diamondbacks with 20 homers and 59 RBI. |
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| Jul 2 2024 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has an extra-base hit in four of his last six games, though this was his first homer since June 20. The first baseman is up to 18 long balls on the year, with six of them coming over his last 18 games. He's added a .259/.331/.480 slash line with 55 RBI, 50 runs scored and two stolen bases over 85 contests. |
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| Jul 1 2024 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker ignited the scoring in the fourth with an RBI base knock and later extended Arizona's lead with another RBI single in the seventh. It was his seventh game in June with multiple hits and his fifth game of the year with a trio of base knocks. Walker has been a steady source of run production for the Diamondbacks this season, slashing .256/.330/.472 with 17 homers, 53 RBI, 49 runs and a 33:88 BB:K in 358 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 21 2024 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-2 win over Washington. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker provided an insurance run with a solo blast in the ninth inning for his team-leading 17th home run of the season and fifth in the last eight games. He also leads the Diamondbacks with 50 RBI. The 33-year-old can still bring it, as Walker possesses top-shelf bat speed (89th percentile), average exit velocity (84th percentile), barrel rate (97th percentile) and hard-hit rate (88th percentile). |
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| Jun 16 2024 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a two-RBI double and an additional run scored during Sunday's 12-5 win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker slugged his fourth home run of the last five games, taking Drew Thorpe yard in the first inning. The first baseman didn't stop there, adding a single off Thorpe in the third and plating Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll with a fourth-inning double for Walker's first three-hit game since April 30. Walker trails only Josh Naylor for the most home runs among first basemen and owns an .820 OPS. |
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| Jun 14 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Thursday's 11-1 win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he was not happy with how he was handling fastballs, so he put in extra work in the batting cage this week. It paid off immediately when Walker belted a three-run homer off a four-seamer in the first inning to give Arizona a 3-0 lead. "I've been missing fastballs [and fouling them] straight back a little bit and it's been bothering me," Walker said. He followed that up a solo shot in the third -- a slider this time. The first baseman has three long balls over the last two games and leads the team with 15 home runs and 46 RBI through 69 contests. |
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| Jun 12 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has gone 10-for-45 (.222) with two homers and eight RBI over 11 contests in June. The first baseman is up to 13 long balls, 42 RBI, 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, two stolen bases and a .255/.340/.458 slash line through 68 games this season. Walker's power is a bit down from the last two years, but that's at least partially due to bad luck -- entering Wednesday, he had a 50.0 percent hard-hit rate and a 15.1 percent barrel rate this season, up from 40.4 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively, in 2023. |
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| Jun 5 2024 | Walker is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is resting for just the second time of the season, with his first day off coming all the way back on April 21. Pavin Smith will start at first base for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. |
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| Jun 1 2024 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in a 10-5 win over the Mets on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning, Walker hit a grand slam off Sean Manaea to open the scoring. It was Walker's second night in a row with a homer, and he has now reached base in 10 straight games dating back to May 21. That stretch has included four home runs and eight RBI, and Walker is now up to 12 home runs and 38 RBI on the season. |
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| May 22 2024 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker led off the top of the sixth inning with a solo homer. The blast was Walker's ninth and tied him for the team lead with Ketel Marte. May has not been kind to Walker, who is batting .194 with a .606 OPS through 18 games, but he continues to lead the Diamondbacks with 31 RBI. |
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| May 15 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker led off the second inning with his eighth homer of the season and first in 13 games. He entered the contest on a 1-for-16 run and is batting .217 for the month. The recent slump dropped his average to .264, but Walker still leads the team with 28 RBI. |
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| May 13 2024 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a walk, one stolen base and two runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win over the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The steal was Walker's first of the year, which is a bit of a surprise since he stole 11 bases last season. He was caught stealing on his first two attempts in 2024. The first baseman has struggled in May, going 8-for-38 (.211) over 11 contests this month. He's still slashing a decent .265/.377/.437 with seven home runs, 27 RBI, 29 runs scored and five doubles over 42 contests overall. |
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| May 1 2024 | Walker went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker bookended the Diamondbacks' scoring with a solo home run in the fourth inning then a two-run, walk-off job in the bottom of the 10th. He closed out the month on a roll, going 10-for-24 (.417) with four homers and nine RBI over the final seven games. The first baseman has a team-high seven home runs and is tied for the team lead with 22 RBI. |
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| Apr 29 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker got things started with a solo blast off Logan Gilbert in the second inning to knot the game up at 1-1. He later doubled in the fourth but was left stranded. The 33-year-old slugger has notched at least a hit in five straight games while homering twice and racking up five RBI over that span. For the year, he's slashing .271/.383/.439 with five homers, 18 RBI, 21 runs and an 18:31 BB:K in 128 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 24 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 14-1 win over St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker kicked off the Diamondbacks' fun with a three-run blast in the third inning. It was the first of three Arizona homers, as later Kevin Newman (two-run shot) and Pavin Smith (grand slam) added to the rout. For Walker, it was his first home run since April 2, snapping an 18-game drought. With four homers in 25 games to start the 2024 season, Walker is behind the pace established the last two seasons when the first baseman launched 36 (2022) and 33 homers (2023); however, he had just four April home runs in each of those two previous seasons. It seems Walker's more productive months are ahead of him. |
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| Apr 21 2024 | Walker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker started the first 22 games of the season but will receive a well-deserved day off Sunday in San Francisco. Pavin Smith will step in at first base and bat sixth. |
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| Apr 15 2024 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All three of Walker's hits went for singles, though he jumpstarted the Diamondbacks' five-run fifth inning with a leadoff base hit. Walker is seeing the baseball well early on, slashing .300/.417/.467 but has not recorded an extra-base hit since April 2 and currently owns a .167 ISO. |
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| Apr 2 2024 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two total runs scored in Tuesday's 7-0 victory over the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker broke the game open in the seventh inning, launching a 424-foot, three-run shot off Jake Cousins to extend Arizona's lead to 6-0. The 33-year-old Walker is now 7-for-24 with three home runs and eight RBI to start the season. He slashed .258/.333/.497 with 33 homers and a career-high 103 RBI last year. |
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| Mar 31 2024 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Sunday's win over the Rockies. He was also hit by a pitch | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: For the second time in three days, Walker went deep in the first inning against Colorado. The veteran first baseman drilled 30-plus homers with an OPS over .800 in each of the last two seasons and is off to a strong start in 2024. He's slashing .313/.421/.750 with three extra-base hits and five RBI through four games. |
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| Mar 30 2024 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-3 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker hit the second of back-to-back home runs on the first inning after Lourdes Gurriel went deep before him. It was the first homer for Walker, who has a hit in both games to start the season. He's locked in as Arizona's primary first baseman and cleanup batter. |
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| Mar 7 2024 | Walker started at first base and went 1-for-2 with a double in Thursday's spring game against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker returned from a hand injury sustained a week ago when he was hit by a pitch. He played three innings in the field and got two at-bats before being replaced by a pinch runner following his double in the top of the fourth inning. At the time of his injury, aside from being hit by a pitch, he had two hits including a double in eight at-bats. Walker will ramp up in the coming days with eye toward playing back-to-back days in the field. |
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| Mar 5 2024 | Walker (hand) is now expected to return to action Thursday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: An earlier report estimated Tuesday for Walker's return, but manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday is the more likely target. The first baseman, who was hit on the right hand by a pitch last Thursday, has begun hitting. |
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| Mar 4 2024 | Walker (hand) has begun hitting and could return to game action Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was hit by a pitch on his right hand Thursday and hasn't played since. If he returns Tuesday, Walker should have enough time to get ready for Opening Day. |
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| Feb 29 2024 | The Diamondbacks say Walker has a right hand contusion after x-rays were negative Thursday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants after being hit in the hand by a pitch. The first baseman suffered the injury in the fourth inning, but his day may have been finished anyway. |
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| Jan 11 2024 | The Diamondbacks and Walker avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $10.9 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a nice raise for the first baseman in what was his final year of arbitration eligibility. Walker struggled in the postseason for Arizona but had another terrific regular season, slugging 30-plus home runs for the second year in a row while reaching the 100-RBI mark for the first time. |
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| Oct 1 2023 | Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is mired in an 0-for-15 slump and will hit the bench for the regular-season finale after Arizona punched its ticket to the playoffs Saturday. Despite the recent struggles, it's been another strong campaign for the first baseman with 33 homers, 103 RBI and an .830 OPS. |
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| Sep 26 2023 | Walker went 3-for-5 with one triple, a two-run homer, a solo homer, three additional RBI and an additional run scored in Tuesday's win over the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker played a featured role in Arizona's offensive bonanza Tuesday, launching a solo homer in the second and a two-run shot in the sixth while also legging out his second triple of 2023. The first baseman is up to 33 homers with five games left on the schedule, and he's just three more long balls off from tying his career high. Through 153 games, Walker is slashing .265/.340/.510 while striking out at a career-best 19.3 percent clip. |
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| Sep 23 2023 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-1 loss to the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's ninth-inning home run was his 31st of the season and gave him a career-high 95 RBI. The slugging first baseman's bat has shown life after an eight-game stretch during which he went 1-for-29 with zero RBI. Walker is 6-for-21 (.286) with two doubles, a home run and four RBI over the last five contests. |
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| Sep 21 2023 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first baseman took a back seat to Corbin Carroll, who became the first rookie in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, but Walker's theft gave him a career-high 10 steals. The achievement is something to feel good about in a September that hasn't been kind to him, as Walker entered the day batting .169 with a .527 OPS for the month. |
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| Sep 18 2023 | Walker went 0-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was part of Arizona's three-run first inning, knocking in a run on a fielder's choice then scoring what turned out to be the winning run. The Diamondbacks' RBI leader delivered runs in each of the last two games, after going eight straight games without driving in a run. Walker is batting .180 (11-for-61) over 17 games in September. |
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| Sep 13 2023 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's second-inning single halted a hitless run that had reached 18 consecutive at-bats. He then stole second base but was stranded in what was a recurring theme for the Diamondbacks, who went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, including a pair of double plays with the bases loaded. The steal was Walker's ninth, establishing a new career high for the first baseman. |
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| Sep 4 2023 | Walker (elbow) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Monday against the Rockies in his return to the lineup. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was lifted from Saturday's game following a hit by pitch in the right elbow, but he homered off the bench Sunday and is back in the lineup Monday. The slugger will bring an even 30 home runs and 90 RBI into action Monday. |
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| Sep 3 2023 | Walker (elbow) went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker entered the game as a pinch hitter for Jace Peterson in the sixth inning, and he went yard in the ninth in his second at-bat after staying in at first base. Given he was able to play three innings in the field, it's unlikely Walker's elbow contusion will keep him out of the starting lineup much longer, especially since X-rays came back negative Saturday night. The first baseman's blast was his 30th of the season and his second in three September games. He's added a .271/.348/.529 slash line with 90 RBI, 71 runs scored and eight stolen bases through 133 games. |
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| Sep 2 2023 | Walker was lifted from Saturday's game versus the Orioles after the fourth inning due to right hand discomfort. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was hit by a Kyle Bradish pitch in the third inning and initially stayed in before the pain apparently became too much. He is surely set to undergo X-rays. Walker lined out in his other plate appearance Saturday. |
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| Sep 1 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 4-2 win over the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker lifted a sixth-inning blast to provide Arizona's last runs of the game. Prior to Friday, he ended August in a 10-for-46 (.217) slump over 13 games, with just one extra-base hit, a triple, in that span. The first baseman is up to 29 homers, 89 RBI, 70 runs scored, eight stolen bases and a .271/.347/.524 slash line through 131 contests overall. |
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| Aug 17 2023 | Walker went 3-for-3 with two walks, two home runs, four RBI and a third run scored in Wednesday's 9-7 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a two-run homer in the first inning, Walker belted another two-run job in the eighth, sending a Tyler Kinley fastball over the fence in right-center field to give Arizona the lead. The first baseman is locked in right now and will hate to leave Coors Field, where he went 6-for-11 with three walks, four homers, a double and nine RBI during the three-game set against the Rockies. He has a career 1.062 OPS over 38 games in Denver. |
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| Aug 15 2023 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's victory over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker took starter Ty Blach yard in the third inning to bring Tommy Pham around to score and get the Diamondbacks on the board. The long ball was Walker's 26th of the season and his fourth of the last eight games. During that stretch, Walker's 12-for-32 (.375) with 10 RBI and five runs scored. |
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| Aug 14 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Monday's loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker accounted for two of Arizona's five hits in the loss, knocking a run-scoring double in the first inning and a two-run homer to right field in the sixth. He finished with his fourth multi-hit effort over his past seven games, a stretch during which he's batting .393 (11-for-28) with three homers, eight RBI and a stolen base. Walker is up to 25 home runs on the season, marking the third time in his career he has achieved that feat. |
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| Aug 13 2023 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 3-0 win against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker plated the final two runs in the low-scoring affair with his shot to right field in the third inning, helping Arizona end its nine-game losing streak. The first baseman is up to 24 homers and 73 RBI on the campaign, and he has a chance to challenge the career-best marks of 36 long balls and 94 RBI that he set last season. Walker has been hitting well of late, going 8-for-20 (.400) with two homers, a double and five RBI over his past five contests. |
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| Aug 6 2023 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker hit a timely home run off Caleb Thielbar in the top of the ninth to put the Diamondbacks ahead 3-2. It was his first home run since July 26 and his first RBI since July 29. Walker has cooled off a bit as of late, going 7-for-31 over his last 10 games. The 32-year-old is still having an impactful season as he leads the team with 23 home runs and 69 RBI. |
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| Jul 27 2023 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-7 loss to the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's ninth-inning, two-run homer was the first baseman's second in three games. The first half of July was not kind to Walker (4-for-40), but he's turned it around in the second half. Walker's hit safely in seven of the last nine games, going 13-for-34 (.382) with four doubles, four home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored during that stretch. His 22 home runs and 67 RBI lead the Diamondbacks. |
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| Jul 24 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Monday's 10-6 loss to the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has hit safely in five of his last seven games, going 9-for-26 (.346) with three homers, six RBI and six walks in that span. The first baseman enjoyed an excellent June before cooling off in the first half of July. He's at a .263/.341/.518 slash line with 21 homers, 64 RBI, 54 runs scored, 30 doubles and seven stolen bases through 97 contests overall. |
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| Jul 19 2023 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a walk, two home runs, a stolen base, three runs scored and five RBI in Tuesday's 16-13 win over Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Arizona's one through three hitters went a combined 7-for-16 on the night, and Walker took full advantage of those opportunities from the cleanup spot. The first baseman launched a solo shot off Michael Tonkin in the fourth inning before crushing a three-run blast to left-center field off Ben Heller in the sixth. Walker had been batting just .100 (4-for-40) through his last 11 games in July, but he's up to 20 homers and 63 RBI on the season to go along with a career-high .848 OPS. |
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| Jul 5 2023 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has homered in back-to-back games since he snapped an 0-for-13 skid. The first baseman has also logged four of his five steals this season over his last 14 games, providing some surprising speed. On the year, he's slashing .270/.337/.521 with 18 long balls, 57 RBI, 46 runs scored and 25 doubles through 83 contests in a near-everyday role. |
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| Jun 27 2023 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went back-to-back with Corbin Carroll in the first inning as the Diamondbacks enjoyed a hot start. During Walker's 11-game hitting streak, he's gone 18-for-43 (.419) with three homers, six doubles and 12 RBI. The first baseman is enjoying one of the best stretches of his career, which has him up to a .281/.345/.528 slash line with 16 homers, 54 RBI, 43 runs scored and four stolen bases over 76 contests overall. |
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| Jun 26 2023 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's first-inning double plated Ketel Marte with Arizona's first run and extended his career-best hit streak to 11 games (17-for-39, .436). The steal was his fourth, the most the 32-year-old first baseman's recorded since swiping eight bags during his breakout 2019 season. |
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| Jun 25 2023 | Walker went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended his hit streak to 10 games and has posted a .417/.462/.722 line with five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI during the stretch. He's among the league leaders in doubles (22, T-11) and RBI (52, T-6). |
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| Jun 24 2023 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in Friday's 8-5 loss to San Francisco. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended his hit streak to eight games in his final at-bat with an eighth-inning single. The first baseman is 12-for-31 (.387) with two home runs, three doubles and seven RBI during the hot streak. June has been Walker's best month, as he's posted a .346/.409/.590 line over 78 at-bats. |
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| Jun 18 2023 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Sunday's 12-3 loss to the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker got Arizona on the board with a solo shot in the second inning and added a two-run double in the fifth, but the deficit was far too much to come back from at that point. This was his third straight multi-hit effort and his second game in a row with a homer. The first baseman is up to 15 long balls, 48 RBI, 40 runs scored, 19 doubles and a stolen base while slashing a steady .270/.334/.520 through 68 games. |
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| Jun 17 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker took Shane Bieber deep in the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2. This was Walker's fourth multi-hit effort over his last seven games, a span in which he's gone 11-for-28 (.393) with seven extra-base hits. The first baseman is up to 14 homers, 45 RBI, 39 runs scored, 18 doubles and a stolen base while slashing .265/.331/.502 over 67 contests. His career-high average in a season is .271 in 2020, so he's not likely to do much better than he's doing right now. |
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| Jun 15 2023 | Walker went 1-for-3 with two walks and a three-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who entered the night with just one home run over the previous 22 games, came up clutch in the eighth inning with a game-tying homer. Along with the power outage, Walker hadn't been knocking in many runs -- he entered with just five RBI over the previous 19 games -- so Wednesday's impact was an encouraging sign. He leads Arizona with 42 RBI. |
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| Jun 14 2023 | Walker went 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in Tuesday's 15-3 loss to Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Not much went right for the Diamondbacks, but Walker's night stood out. It was his first four-hit night of the season and third multi-hit game in the last six. Walker has the batting average up to .261 following a slow start, but the first baseman's power has dried up over the last month. He's belted just one home run and slugged .388 over the last 22 games. |
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| Jun 12 2023 | Walker went 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Down to his final strike in the ninth inning, Walker ripped his second double of the game, driving in two to give Arizona a 6-5 lead. The 32-year-old Walker is off to a nice start in June, batting .313 (10-for-32) with an .830 OPS through eight games. Overall, Walker is slashing .252/.315/.474 with 12 homers. 38 RBI and 37 runs scored through 257 plate appearances this season. |
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| Jun 4 2023 | Walker (illness) is batting cleanup as the designated hitter Sunday against Atlanta, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was initially out of the lineup Sunday for the second straight game due to food poisoning, but he ended up being a late addition to the starting nine. Lourdes Gurriel was pulled from the lineup as a result. |
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| Jun 3 2023 | Walker isn't in Arizona's lineup Saturday against Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Having recorded a base hit in six of his last seven games, Walker will get a breather Saturday. Emmanuel Rivera will start at first base instead and bat fifth. |
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| Jun 1 2023 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's fifth-inning blast was his 12th and snapped an 11-game stretch without a long ball. The last two weeks have been a grind for the Diamondbacks' primary first baseman; Walker is 7-for-45 (.156) with a .491 OPS over the last 12 games. |
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| May 21 2023 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 victory over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended Arizona's lead to 7-3 with a two-out double off Robert Stephenson in the seventh inning. He'd add a third RBI in the ninth, driving in Corbin Carroll with a base hit. The 32-year-old Walker had been struggling at the plate, going just 4-for-32 in his last 10 games. He's still slashing a solid .261/.321/.515 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI through 184 plate appearances this season., |
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| May 16 2023 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's loss against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker wasted no time getting the Diamondbacks on the board, swatting a two-run homer off Kyle Muller in the first inning and moving into a tie for 10th place in most home runs in MLB this season. The right-handed slugger ended up reaching base in each of his first three plate appearances, hitting an infield single in the third before being walked in the fifth. Though Walker had registered one hit in his last 16 at-bats, he has maintained strong plate discipline by drawing seven walks in that span. After exploding onto the fantasy scene with 36 home runs a season ago (160 games), Walker is on pace to beat those numbers in 2023 having whacked 10 long balls through 40 games. |
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| May 15 2023 | Walker is not in the Diamondbacks' lineup for Monday's game in Oakland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It appears to be a regular day off for the slugger. Pavin Smith will fill in for Walker at first base. |
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| May 9 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional RBI in a 5-2 win against the Marlins on Moday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker plated the first run of the game with a double in the fourth inning, and he smashed a massive 459-foot solo shot two frames later. The two-hit performance extended his on-base streak to 10 games, a span in which he is slashing .409/.435/.886 with six long balls, 13 RBI and 11 runs. Walker is up to nine homers and 28 RBI on the season and has pushed his slash line up to .289/.324/.563. |
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| May 7 2023 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1 with his fourth-inning solo shot. He's hit safely in five straight games, going 10-for-23 (.435) in that span. The first baseman is up to eight homers, 26 RBI, 19 runs scored, one stolen base and seven doubles while slashing .282/.319/.532 through 32 contests. He's never hit better than .271 in a season, but there's no denying he's hot right now. |
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| May 3 2023 | Walker went 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI, three runs and a walk during Wednesday's 12-7 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker put Arizona on the board with a three-run blast during the third inning and followed up with a solo shot in the fifth. He also walked with the bases loaded in the seventh and came around to score. The 32-year-old clubbed just two home runs in his first 20 games of the season, but he's found his power stroke over the past nine contests, going 12-for-34 (.353 average) with five long balls, 14 RBI and nine runs. |
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| May 2 2023 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Tuesday's loss to Texas. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker led off the third with a solo shot to put the Diamondbacks up 4-1. But Arizona couldn't hold that lead, and Walker flew out to end the game with the tying run on base. The first baseman has 20 RBI in 28 games, as he hits in the top four of a productive Arizona lineup. |
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| Apr 30 2023 | Walker went 3-for-5 with one home run and two RBI in Saturday's victory over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker provided Arizona some extra insurance in the ninth inning, pulling a 373-foot shot over the left field wall. The first baseman is now on a three-game hit streak and leads the team with 19 RBI. The former Oriole is continuing his solid play after hitting a career-high 36 long balls last year. |
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| Apr 1 2023 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Diamondbacks didn't have much success against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw on Saturday, but Walker continued his dominance of the future Hall of Famer with a pair of hits, including a solo homer to left field in the second inning. The long ball was the fifth of his career against Kershaw in just 31 at-bats, but it didn't make much of an impact on the game, as Los Angeles rolled to a 10-1 victory. Walker has gone 4-for-10 with two RBI through his first three games of the campaign. |
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| Mar 19 2023 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Saturday's spring game against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was Walker's first appearance since he was hit by a pitch on the hip Monday. He shook off the downtime early, launching a 1-0 pitch 430 feet to deep left field in the second inning. He walked and stole a base an inning later and nearly missed a second home run on his final at-bat in the fifth. |
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| Mar 18 2023 | Walker (hip) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Saturday against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He was removed from Monday's game after a hit-by-pitch and took a few days to get right, but the injury was apparently quite minor. Walker should be Arizona's everyday first baseman this season. |
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| Mar 16 2023 | Walker was scratched from the Diamondbacks' Cactus League lineup Thursday due to lingering left hip discomfort, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was struck by a pitch just above his left hip this past Monday and still has some bruising. It doesn't sound like anything that would threaten his readiness for Opening Day. |
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| Mar 15 2023 | Walker (hip) is listed as the Diamondbacks' starting first baseman and cleanup hitter for Wednesday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was pulled early from Monday's game against the Rangers after being hit on the left hip by a pitch, but afterward, the team described his removal from the contest as precautionary. The fact that Walker is back in the lineup two days later seemingly supports that notion, and barring any further setbacks, he'll be on track to open the season in an everyday role coming off a career-best 2022 campaign in which he slugged 36 home runs and drove in 94 runs. |
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| Mar 13 2023 | Walker left Monday's game against the Giants after being hit in the left leg by a fastball, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was able to remain in the contest immediately after being hit by the pitch, but he was later removed. After the exhibition, manager Torey Lovullo stated that had it been a regular-season game, Walker would've stayed in. He'll be considered day-to-day moving forward but isn't expected to miss any serious time. |
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| Jan 13 2023 | Walker signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract with Arizona on Friday to avoid arbitration, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker finished 2022 with career highs in home runs (36) and RBI (94), and he recorded his highest OPS since 2019. As a result, the veteran first baseman receives a well-deserved raise from the $2.6 million he made in 2022. |
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| Oct 6 2022 | Walker went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker opened the scoring in the fourth inning with an RBI single off lefty Aaron Ashby. The first baseman finished the season on a positive note, turning in a .367 average over 30 at-bats across his final seven games. The 31-year-old had a resurgent year with a .242/.327/.477 slash line, 36 home runs, 94 RBI and 84 runs in 160 contests. |
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| Oct 2 2022 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was on the back end of a double-steal in the 10th inning, which earned him his second stolen base of the campaign. The first baseman isn't renowned for his speed, as he's produced just 12 stolen bases and five triples in his major-league career. He's been much better as a power bat this year, posting an .802 OPS, .240 batting average, 36 home runs, 93 RBI and 83 runs scored through 157 contests. |
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| Sep 29 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with three RBI in Wednesday's 5-2 extra-inning win over the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker delivered a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly and followed with a two-out, two-run single in the 10th. The 31-year-old first baseman has a team-high and career-high 91 RBI through 154 games. Walker, who also leads the team with 36 home runs, resuscitated his career in 2022 after a couple of down seasons. He's still under team control for the next two years and is almost certain to return as the primary first baseman in 2023. |
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| Sep 22 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The game unfolded as a pitching duel between Julio Urias and Zac Gallen, but Walker looked to have stolen some of the spotlight with his go-ahead solo homer off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning. However, Los Angeles came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to pull out the victory. Walker's homer was his fourth over his past eight games and pushed him to 36 long balls on the season, tied for sixth-most in the league. |
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| Sep 16 2022 | Walker went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three total RBI in Friday's 12-3 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was the Diamondbacks' offense in this one, teeing up a solo shot in the fourth inning and a two-run blast in the ninth. He doubled his homer total for September to four and extended his career high to 34 long balls on the year. The first baseman has maintained a .235/.328/.480 slash line with 83 RBI, 76 runs scored, a stolen base and 21 doubles through 142 contests, with the impressive power helping to offset some of his overall batting struggles. |
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| Sep 7 2022 | Walker isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went 4-for-11 with a homer, three RBI, two runs, a walk and three strikeouts over the last three games but will get a rare day off Wednesday. Emmanuel Rivera is starting at first base and batting cleanup. |
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| Sep 6 2022 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's blast gave Arizona a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. He continues to provide solid power with three homers and two doubles across his last 13 games, a span in which he's hitting .354 (17-for-48). The first baseman's surge has him up to a .237/.333/.485 slash line with 32 long balls, 79 RBI, 73 runs scored and 20 doubles through 133 games overall. |
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| Sep 3 2022 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 2-1 win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's finally experiencing some good luck and has his average up to a season-high .237 following Friday's win. Despite being in the upper percentiles of hard-hit and barrel rate all season, the first baseman's sub-.200 BABIP kept his average low through the first half of the season. He's been more fortunate since the All-Star break, posting a .306 average while the BABIP has climbed to .231. |
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| Sep 2 2022 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in a 5-0 win against the Brewers on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker posted a .346/.417/.615 slash line with seven homers in August, and he carried that momentum over to the new month with his third straight multi-hit game. His first-inning, two-run homer was his first in seven games and gave him a new career high with 75 RBI. Walker is tied for sixth in the majors with 31 homers on the campaign. |
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| Aug 30 2022 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a double, a hit-by-pitch and two runs scored in Tuesday's 12-3 win over the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is swinging a hot bat in August, going 34-for-100 (.340) through 27 contests. Eight of those games have been multi-hit efforts, and he's added seven home runs, seven doubles, 21 RBI and 23 runs scored. The strong month has lifted his season slash line to a serviceable .231/.330/.478 with 30 homers, 73 RBI, 68 runs scored and 19 doubles through 126 contests overall. |
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| Aug 24 2022 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Royals on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's solo home run was no cheap shot, as he tagged Scott Barlow for a 456-foot blast to center field in the ninth inning. The long ball established a new career high for the veteran first baseman and gave him his first 30-homer campaign. Walker has gone 15-for-38 (.395 average) over his past 10 contests, and he is tied with Pete Alonso for fourth in the National League in home runs on the campaign. |
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| Aug 16 2022 | Walker went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and three walks Monday in a loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Arizona had trouble producing offense in the contest, but that was no fault of Walker's. The first baseman drew three free passes and hit a massive 461-foot solo shot during his one official at-bat. Walker has been fantastic through 14 games in August, slashing .360/.431/.760 with five homers, 16 RBI and a 6:6 BB:K. He's tied for sixth in the majors with 28 long balls on the campaign. |
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| Aug 14 2022 | Walker went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, a run and four RBI in a 7-4 victory over Colorado on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning, connected on a 460-foot three run home run in the third, singled in the fifth and doubled again in the ninth for his first four-hit game of the season. The outburst comes on the heels of him reaching base four times Tuesday, and the 31-year-old is 10-for-21 with three walks across his last six games. The long ball was Walker's 27th and pulls him into a tie with Anthony Rizzo for eighth most in MLB. |
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| Aug 9 2022 | Walker went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI in a 6-4 win against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walked singled home a run in the first inning, doubled and scored in the third, walked in the fifth and singled and scored in the seventh to reach base four times for third instance this season. The 31-year-old is slashing a blistering .323/.364/.710 with three homers and three doubles through eight August contests. Walker's 43 extra-base hits place him top 30 in baseball while his .249 isolated power ranks 13th. |
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| Aug 7 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has homered thrice in six games in August, adding nine RBI and a double in that span. The first baseman's long ball Sunday opened the scoring in the first inning. He's up to 26 homers, 61 RBI and 48 runs scored on the year, but his slash line remains a little shaky at .203/.302/.451 through 434 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 3 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's first-inning blast was his team-leading 25th and second in as many days. The first baseman had been rumored to getting moved at the trade deadline, but the Diamondbacks kept the 31-year-old slugger in the fold. Despite a .203 batting average, Walker will remain Arizona's cleanup hitter. |
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| Jul 27 2022 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's three-run blast off Carlos Rodon in the third inning gave Arizona a 5-2 lead and was the game-winning knock. It was homer number 23 for Walker, who is a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline. Teams may see a .207 batting average and dismiss Walker, but the first baseman's .192 BABIP suggests bad luck is at play. Another hint that he's better than the average is an elite barrel rate (13.7%, 89th percentile). Throw in a career-high 13.2 BB% and career-low 19.1 K% and Walker, who becomes a free agent in 2024, looks very appealing, particularly to a team in need of power. |
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| Jul 16 2022 | Sources indicate the Diamondbacks are willing to discuss a trade involving Walker, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker rebounded from a down year in 2021 and is tied for ninth in MLB with 22 home runs -- he hit No. 22 on Friday. While his .206 batting average may not look appealing, the first baseman's expected average (.269 xBA) and on-base rate (.400 xwOBA, 17th in MLB) paint a different picture of his value. Teams more analytically inclined will see through the low batting average. |
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| Jul 15 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had gone 11 games without a long ball since his two-homer game versus the Rockies on July 2. Since that date, he's hit .179 (7-for-39) with only one multi-hit performance. The first baseman's downturn in power of late hurts his fantasy profile, as he doesn't often hit consistently. He's slashing .206/.319/.467 with 22 homers, 45 RBI, 44 runs scored, 12 doubles and a triple through 88 contests. |
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| Jul 2 2022 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs, a walk and three total runs scored in Saturday's 11-7 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went six games without a homer entering Saturday, his third-longest power drought of the year. He went deep in the second inning and then added another long ball in the sixth, giving him 21 on the year. The slugger continues to hover around the Mendoza line -- he's batting .206, but he's added a .799 OPS in 311 plate appearances. He's added 44 RBI, 43 runs scored, 10 doubles and a triple through 76 contests. |
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| Jun 23 2022 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His seventh-inning shot off Nick Martinez was too little, too late for Arizona. Walker remains streaky, but with multi-hit efforts in three of his last four games he appears to be heating up. On the season, the 31-year-old sports a .208/.304/.490 slash line with 19 homers and 37 RBI through 69 contests. |
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| Jun 19 2022 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker entered Sunday on an 0-for-15 skid. He snapped that slump in his first at-bat with a 404-foot homer. He added a 413-foot blast in the fourth inning, and it was the first baseman who accounted for both runs on Twins starter Chris Archer's line. Through 66 contests, Walker has 18 homers, 35 RBI, 30 runs scored, 10 doubles and a triple with a .201/.297/.483 slash line. |
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| Jun 13 2022 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks in Monday's loss to the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker produced the game's first runs with a big 446-foot blast to left field in the third inning. The homer was his 16th of the campaign, tied for second in the National League. Walker is batting only .209 on the season, but the power has made him a viable fantasy option. |
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| Jun 12 2022 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a triple, a double, three RBI, a run scored and a walk in Sunday's 13-1 win over Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker knocked an RBI double in the fifth inning and added a two-run single in the sixth. The three-RBI day matched the total output over his previous 10 games. He improved his slash line to .207/.302/.474 with 31 RBI and 26 extra-base hits through 242 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 11 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was back in the lineup one day after taking a pitch off the helmet during Thursday's game, at which point he was removed with a facial contusion. He should return to his usual near-everyday role at first base. |
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| Jun 10 2022 | Walker (face) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Friday against the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was hit in the head by a pitch during Thursday's matchup with the Reds, but he's apparently none the worse for wear and is back in action a day later. The 31-year-old is off to a slow start in June and has a .148/.281/.407 slash line with two home runs in eight games. |
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| Jun 9 2022 | Walker was diagnosed with a facial contusion after exiting Thursday's win over the Reds, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was hit in the head by a pitch in the top of the eighth inning Thursday, and he immediately left the game. While the 31-year-old will likely be monitored ahead of Friday's matchup against Philadelphia, he seems to have avoided a significant injury. If Walker misses any additional time, Pavin Smith and Jordan Luplow are candidates to fill in at first base. |
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| Jun 4 2022 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 8-6 win over Pittsburgh. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker cranked his team-leading 14th homer, his eighth in the last 17 games, in the second inning to even the score at 1-1. The first baseman's .190 BABIP has led to a .211 batting average, but Walker leads the team in slugging (.489), with 22 of his 38 hits going for extra bases. He also leads the Diamondbacks with 26 RBI. |
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| May 31 2022 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 8-7 extra-inning win over Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning, and he added an RBI double in the sixth. This was the first baseman's first three-hit game this season, and his ninth multi-hit effort. He's hovered around the Mendoza Line for much of the last two weeks, with his season slash line at .208/.301/.480 in 49 contests. He's added 13 homers, 25 RBI, 24 runs scored and eight doubles. |
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| May 30 2022 | Walker isn't starting Monday's game against Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will get a breather after he went 1-for-12 with an RBI, a walk and three strikeouts over his last three games. Pavin Smith is shifting to first base while Jose Herrera enters the lineup behind the plate. |
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| May 27 2022 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 14-1 loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was the lone source of offense for the Diamondbacks, closing the gap to 10-1 with a sixth-inning blast. It was his sixth long ball in the last 11 games and 12th of the season. The power stroke is a welcome sight after the first baseman slumped to 10 home runs and a .138 ISO over 115 games in 2021. |
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| May 21 2022 | Walker went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 10-6 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is having himself a week. The first baseman has five hits over 21 at-bats, but four of the hits cleared fences. The homer binge gives him 10 in 40 games, vaulting him to the team lead in the category. He finished 2021 with the same number of home runs over 115 games. |
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| May 17 2022 | Walker went 3-for-7 with two home runs, a walk and three RBI between both games of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has now homered in three consecutive contests and has a .321 average through 16 games in May. Overall this season the 31-year-old is hitting .219/.310/.484 with nine home runs, 18 RBI and 18 runs. |
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| May 4 2022 | Walker is not in Wednesday's lineup for the series finale against the Marlins, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will rest Wednesday after starting each of the Diamondbacks' last four games, launching three home runs and driving in four over that stretch. Seth Beer will take over at first base and bat fourth. |
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| May 3 2022 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBI during Tuesday's 5-4 win against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was 2-for-23 over his past seven contests but delivered his first multi-hit game of the season in Tuesday's victory. It's also only the second time this year his driven in multiple runs, and he still has a lot of work to do in order to bring up his .163/.250/.419 slash line. However, the 31-year-old hasn't lacked for power as he's tied for ninth in MLB with six home runs. |
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| May 1 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker tied the game at 2-2 with his solo shot off Cardinals starter Jordan Hicks. While Walker's slugged five homers in 22 games this season, the rest of his stat line leaves something to be desired. He's slashing only .152/.230/.380 with eight RBI and 11 runs scored through 87 plate appearances. The first baseman is just 2-for-21 in his last six contests. |
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| Apr 24 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 6-2 loss to the Mets on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker took New York starter Tylor Megill 467-feet deep to left in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1 but wasn't able to produce in his other three at-bats. The 31-year-old now has exactly one hit in five consecutive contests, though the efforts haven't pushed Walker's average up much, as he's gone from .118 to .167. |
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| Apr 22 2022 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a 6-5 loss to the Mets on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker didn't do much early, but his eighth inning shot off New York reliever Trevor May brought Arizona to within one run of the lead. The 31-year-old has put together a modest five game on base streak to bump his OPS from .583 to .648, though he'll need to start producing numbers like he did in 2019 and 2020 to truly make an impact. |
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| Apr 20 2022 | Walker went 0-for-3 with a walk in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was on the bench for the afternoon opener, while Seth Beer made his first start of the season in the field. Walker's batting average dropped to .118 following his 0-fer and he has one hit in last 19 at-bats. |
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| Apr 19 2022 | Walker is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll take a seat for the first time this season after starting in each of Arizona's nine games to date while hitting .129 with two solo home runs and scoring an additional run across 36 plate appearances. Seth Beer replaces Walker at first base. |
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| Apr 12 2022 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-1 loss to the Astros on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker tied the game with his sixth-inning solo shot off Houston reliever Bryan Abreu though that would be the only offense Arizona could muster Tuesday. The 31-year-hold should continue to provide power in the heart of Arizona's lineup, but he has only one additional hit on top of two home runs thus far. |
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| Apr 10 2022 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in a 10-5 loss to Arizona on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker broke out of an early skid with walks in the fourth and eighth innings sandwiching a homer in the sixth. The 31-year-old should see steady run in the middle of Arizona's weak lineup and is a fringe fantasy asset if he can approach his 2019 numbers. |
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| Apr 2 2022 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's spring training game against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker walloped his second spring home run in the fourth inning and has hit in seven of nine Cactus League contests. The righty-hitting first baseman is focused on putting a dismal 2021 season behind him, and he's been convincing thus far. He's 9-for-25 with three walks, two homers, two doubles, five RBI and six runs scored. It should be noted that Walker was just as good in 2021's spring training over 53 plate appearances but went on to slash .244/.315/.382 with 10 home runs in the regular season. |
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| Mar 14 2022 | Walker worked on altering his swing path and trained himself to react better to how he is being pitched, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's breakout age-28 season in 2019 put him on the fantasy map, but the first baseman hit just .244 with 10 homers in 445 plate appearances last season. It was uncertain whether the Diamondbacks would bring him back, but the organization eventually tendered his contract, and Walker is motivated to prove 2021 was an aberration. "I've traditionally been a right-center, opposite-field thought-process guy and for a while that was that was where I needed to be and that worked," Walker said. "I think as our bodies change and the league learns about you and there's more data and more at-bats to use against you, it almost seems silly to try to be the same guy every single year, every single at-bat." Walker enters spring training as Arizona's primary first baseman, but Pavin Smith earned an opportunity as an everyday player in 2021. Smith could settle in at right field, where he held his own last season, so Walker could remain the starter at first base. With the designated hitter becoming a reality in the National League this season, there are a couple of potential spots in the batting order for Walker. |
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| Oct 3 2021 | Walker went 3-for-5 with three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-2 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had three doubles in a game for the first time this season, and it was just his second game with multiple extra-base hits. In addition, it was his sixth game in which he scored two runs. The 30-year-old is slashing .244/.315/.383 with 10 long balls, 46 RBI and 54 runs scored in 441 plate appearances this season. He has nine hits -- including five extra-base hits -- in his last four games. |
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| Oct 2 2021 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-7 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker finished off Arizona's seven-run third inning with his 10th home run. The season was a step back for Walker, who came out of nowhere to take command at first base in 2019 but became a platoon bat in 2021. His .684 OPS ranks 29th among first basemen with at least 300 at-bats. The 31-year-old is arbitration eligible and shouldn't break the bank to keep around in 2022, but the Diamondbacks may give Pavin Smith a chance at being the everyday first baseman next season. |
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| Sep 30 2021 | Walker went 4-for-5 with a double and a run in a 5-4 loss to San Francisco on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker singled in the fist inning, singled and scored in the fifth, doubled in the seventh and singled in the ninth for his second four-hit game of the season. The successful performance was long overdue as the 30-year-old was only 1-for-15 over his last six games and Walker is now slashing .254/.315/.388 in 21 September contests. |
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| Sep 23 2021 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had one of two extra-base hits for the Diamondbacks on the night as they mustered up just six total hits as a team. Walker's home run came in the eighth inning off Chris Martin for just his ninth long ball of the year. The 30-year-old first baseman is struggling to crack 10 home runs this season after just narrowly missing 30 home runs in 2019. It's unclear what happened to all his power but it certainly hurts his value. Walker's struggled to a .239/.311/.370 slash line to go along with nine homers, 43 RBI, 49 runs scored and 35:99 BB:K over 409 plate appearances. |
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| Sep 16 2021 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's sixth-inning solo shot was the only extra-base hit of the game for Arizona, and the first baseman was the only Diamondback with multiple hits in the contest. The long ball was the first since Aug. 27 for the veteran, though he has been hitting well of late, going 5-for-13 with three runs over his past four contests. |
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| Sep 11 2021 | Walker is not in Saturday's lineup against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He is hitting .125 in 16 at-bats this month and it seems he has fallen into the short side of a platoon. Pavin Smith will start at first base while Seth Beer starts at designated hitter. |
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| Sep 7 2021 | Walker will sit Tuesday against Texas. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With his off day here against Spencer Howard, Walker has now been on the bench against the last three righties the Diamondbacks have faced. He hasn't made a good case for everyday at-bats this season, hitting just .233/.309/358. Pavin Smith will be the first baseman Tuesday. |
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| Sep 5 2021 | Walker is not in the lineup Sunday against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker started the past two games and will take a seat Sunday while mired in a 2-for-19 slump. Pavin Smith will move to first base while Jake McCarthy starts in right field. |
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| Sep 1 2021 | Walker isn't starting Wednesday against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker started each of the last three games but went just 1-for-10 with three walks and six strikeouts. Pavin Smith will shift to first base while Jake McCarthy starts in right field. |
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| Aug 28 2021 | Walker will sit Saturday against the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has shown signs of life at the plate recently, hitting .371/.463/.600 over his last 10 games, but that's only been enough to drag his OPS on the season up to .684. Pavin Smith starts at first base in his absence, with Daulton Varsho starting in right field. |
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| Aug 27 2021 | Walker went 4-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 8-7 win over Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Pennsylvania native enjoyed his return home with a four-hit night in front of friends and family. While it was a good night for Walker, all four hits were singles. His .364 slugging and .679 OPS this season creates a situation where first base may be up for grabs in 2022. |
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| Aug 25 2021 | Walker, who did not start Tuesday's game against the Pirates, entered as a pinch hitter and struck out for Madison Bumgarner in the seventh inning of a 4-2 loss. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was on the bench to start the game despite riding a six-game hitting streak. The night before, he drove in three with a single off the wall, and manager Torey Lovullo was asked if he reviewed the play to see if Walker ran hard out of the batter's box. The manager's response was interesting: "I did get a chance to review it," Lovullo said. "Those are some internal things we consider housekeeping, so we'll take care of that." While the manager didn't exactly say Tuesday's benching was a punishment for a lack of hustle Monday, his answer suggests that. |
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| Aug 24 2021 | Walker is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will get a rest despite entering the game with a six-game hitting streak. Pavin Smith will bat second and man first base Tuesday. |
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| Aug 23 2021 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended his hitting streak to five games when he took Robert Stephenson deep in the top of the seventh inning to give Arizona a 6-1 lead. The 42-83 Diamondbacks could grant Walker more frequent days off in September to evaluate younger options, but the 30-year-old still looks to be the club's top option at first base. |
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| Aug 19 2021 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run Wednesday in the Diamondbacks' 4-2 win over the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's hold on the top job at first base appeared to be slipping after he was on the bench for the final two games of the weekend series in San Diego, but he's seemingly solidified his place atop the depth chart this week. He started in both of the first two games versus Philadelphia and went 2-for-5 with two walks between the contests. Walker will remain in the lineup for Thursday's finale, manning first base and batting cleanup. |
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| Aug 16 2021 | Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Walker got "a little bit of a blow" when he was held out of the starting lineup for two games over the weekend, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The manager expects Walker to start Tuesday against the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was held out of games Saturday and Sunday while Asdrubal Cabrera filled in at first base. With the team off Monday, Walker will get three days of rest before attempting to jumpstart his bat, which has produced a .636 OPS from first base, ranking him last among the 29 first basemen with at least 300 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 15 2021 | Walker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will take a seat for the second game in a row while Asdrubal Cabrera picks up another start at first base in his stead. Though he's held down a near-everyday role for the better part of the last three seasons, Walker could become phased out over the final six weeks while he endures a brutal 2021 campaign. His .636 OPS represents a 156-point decline from 2020, and with only five home runs in 301 plate appearances, Walker hasn't come close to living up to his reputation as a power-hitting first baseman. |
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| Aug 14 2021 | Walker is not starting Saturday's game against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has gone hitless in each of his last four starts; however, he has drawn four walks in that span. Asdrubal Cabrera is starting at first base Saturday, with Drew Ellis playing third base. |
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| Aug 11 2021 | Walker is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went 0-for-3 with a walk during Tuesday's loss and will take a seat for Wednesday's contest. Pavin Smith will work at first base in his absence with righty Kevin Gausman pitching for San Francisco. |
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| Aug 7 2021 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a strikeout in a 6-2 loss to San Diego on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker tagged San Diego starter Yu Darvish for a long home run in the second inning to provide Arizona's only two runs of the game. The long ball was Walker's fifth in 71 games this season and was his first since June 26 as he's slugging a disappointing .355. This comes after smashing a combined 36 home runs in 199 games over the last two seasons with a .471 slugging. |
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| Aug 4 2021 | Walker isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will get a day off after he went 4-for-13 with a double, two RBI, a run and four strikeouts across the last three games. Asdrubal Cabrera will shift to first base while Drew Ellis draws the start at the hot corner. |
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| Jul 31 2021 | Walker will sit Saturday against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker owns a modest .709 OPS thus far in the second half, though that's at least better than the .620 OPS he managed prior to the break. Asdrubal Cabrera slides to first base in his absence, with Drew Ellis starting at third. |
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| Jul 25 2021 | Walker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will head to the bench for only the second time in 11 games, paving the way for Pavin Smith to pick up a start at first base. Since the All-Star break, Walker has gone 7-for-28 (.250 average) with three doubles, three runs and an RBI. |
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| Jul 21 2021 | Walker isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had started in each of the five games after the All-Star break, and he went 6-for-19 with three doubles, three runs, an RBI, two walks and six strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Pavin Smith takes over at first base and bats fifth. |
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| Jul 9 2021 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a double, run, walk and strikeout in a 5-2 win over the Dodgers on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker doubled in the first, singled in the third and walked and scored in the ninth to submit a valuable insurance run. The first baseman now has a decent five-game hitting streak that's seen him go 6-for-20. |
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| Jul 8 2021 | Walker isn't starting Thursday's game against the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker drew starts in each of the last seven games, but he'll get a breather after he hit .250 with a double, three RBI, a run and 10 strikeouts during that time. Pavin Smith will start at first base and bat third. |
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| Jun 30 2021 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a run scored Wednesday against St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker strung together his first three-hit game of the season, producing a trio of singles. He came around to score on Daulton Varsho's bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning. It's been a rough year overall for Walker, but he's come alive over the last week, producing a .407 (11-for-27) average during a seven-game hitting streak. That stretch has brought his season average up from .196 to .230. |
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| Jun 29 2021 | Walker is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will get his first rest since June 20 as Pavin Smith mans first base Tuesday. Walker figures to be a top option off the bench, however. |
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| Jun 26 2021 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, double, an additional run and a walk in Saturday's 10-1 win against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker extended Arizona's lead to 2-0 with his solo shot in the second off San Diego starter Dinleson Lamet, doubled and scored in the fourth and walked in the ninth to reach base three times in consecutive games and for only the fourth time all season. The homer was his fourth in 42 games which puts him on pace for 15 in 162 games, a far cry from the 29 he hit in 2019. |
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| Jun 23 2021 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Milwaukee. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first baseman's seventh-inning solo shot accounted for the only run Arizona could muster off Milwaukee ace Brandon Woodruff. Walker has homered just twice in 21 games in June while batting .191 (13-for-68) this month. He has three long balls, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored and a disappointing .197/.243/.310 slash line through 152 plate appearances this year. |
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| Jun 20 2021 | Walker is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will be getting a routine breather in the series finale, allowing Asdrubal Cabrera to pick up a start at first base. Through 17 games in June, Walker is batting .182 with a home run, nine runs and seven RBI. |
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| Jun 18 2021 | Walker went 0-for-4 with two RBI in Thursday's 10-3 loss to San Francisco. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker benefitted from hitting behind Eduardo Escobar, who had two extra-base hits and put men in scoring position for him. He was able get runners home with productive outs. Walker's driven in seven runs over the last nine games but a .571 OPS this season is a major disappointment. |
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| Jun 16 2021 | Walker is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He receives a day off following a strong, 2-for-5 effort Tuesday with three RBI. It was Walker's third multi-hit showing in his last seven games, a stretch during which he's gone 7-for-25 with a homer, five RBI and just two strikeouts. Pavin Smith gets the start at first base Wednesday. |
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| Jun 8 2021 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run in a 5-2 loss to Oakland on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker and teammate Pavin Smith were the only Diamondbacks clicking Tuesday as the pair combined for four of the team's six times on base with Walker doing the heavy lifting. His second inning home run off Chris Bassitt opened the scoring and he later scored after a seventh inning single to account for both Arizona runs in the game. The hits broke a 3-for-20 stretch for Walker who looks to perform closer to his combined .815 OPS from 2019 and 2020 rather than a current .570 mark. |
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| Jun 7 2021 | Walker returned to the starting lineup Sunday and went 1-for-4 in a 2-0 loss to the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who sat out Saturday's game against a right-hander, returned to the lineup against a righty Sunday. He's ridden the bench for three of the last five right-handers the Diamondbacks faced. That could be an issue if the practice continues, which could easily be the case, as Walker has a .450 OPS against righties and .520 overall. |
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| Jun 5 2021 | Walker is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker returned from an oblique injury last Saturday. He's since been in the lineup against all three lefties the Diamondbacks have faced but has started against just two out of five righties, including Saturday's starter Brandon Woodruff. Pavin Smith will be the first baseman in his absence. |
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| Jun 3 2021 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was back in the lineup Wednesday against a left-hander after taking a seat the previous two games when the Diamondbacks faced righties. He hasn't been part of a platoon since emerging as a lineup regular in 2019, so having him sit against right-handers is something new, if that's manager Torey Lovullo's plan going forward. Walker, who recently returned from an oblique injury, is batting just .182 against righties in 2021. One motivating factor may be Lovullo's desire to keep the hot-hitting Pavin Smith's bat in the lineup. |
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| Jun 1 2021 | Walker is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pavin Smith will start at first base as Walker takes a seat for the second day in a row. |
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| May 31 2021 | Walker isn't starting Monday's game against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Saturday and went 2-for-10 with three RBI and a strikeout in his first two games back. Pavin Smith will take over at first base and bat sixth. |
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| May 30 2021 | Walker went 1-for-5 with two RBI in Saturday's 7-4 loss to St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was activated off the 10-day injured list and returned to the lineup from an oblique injury Saturday. He was back at first base and slotted in at fifth in the batting order. |
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| May 29 2021 | Walker (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday. He'll start at first base and bat fifth versus the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old completed his fourth rehab game with Triple-A Reno on Friday and will rejoin the Diamondbacks after spending almost three weeks on the shelf. It was Walker's second stint on the injured list this season due to the oblique injury, and he's struggled so far in 2021 with a .203/.268/.313 slash line in 71 plate appearances. |
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| May 26 2021 | Walker (oblique) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno and played games Monday and Tuesday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker is on the verge of returning to Diamondbacks, as manager Torey Lovullo estimated at least one more rehab game before the club makes a determination of whether he's ready to return. This is Walker's second stint on the injured list due to the same oblique issue, though it looks like this time he'll miss fewer games than the 18 he missed earlier. |
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| May 21 2021 | Walker (oblique) has begun hitting, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He has been sidelined since May 11 with oblique soreness. It sounds like Walker could be ready for a rehab assignment sooner than later. |
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| May 13 2021 | Walker (oblique) expects to return sooner from his current stay on the injured list than he did when he landed on the IL with the same injury April 12, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who was placed on the injured list for a second time due to a right oblique strain, underwent an MRI on Wednesday that indicated the severity of the injury is less than it was a month ago. That leaves him optimistic that he can beat the 21-day/18-game absence he experienced the first time on the IL. |
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| May 12 2021 | Walker was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right oblique soreness. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first baseman just returned from the IL on May 3 after a strained right oblique sidelined him for nearly a month, so this latest development could mean an aggravation of that injury. Walker, hitting .203 on the season, recorded a hit in six of his seven games after returning from the first IL stint. Infielder Andrew Young was recalled to replace Walker on the active roster. |
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| May 9 2021 | Walker is not in the lineup Sunday against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went 2-for-8 with two walks and an RBI through the first two games of the series and will take a seat for the finale. Pavin Smith will start at first base and bat leadoff Sunday versus Jacob deGrom. |
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| May 6 2021 | Walker isn't starting Thursday's game against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker returned to the lineup in each of the last two games and went 2-for-9 with a run and four strikeouts. Pavin Smith will shift to first base while Daulton Varsho takes over in center field. |
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| May 5 2021 | Walker went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker came off the injured list Tuesday and slotted in at the three-hole in the order while playing first base. This was his first game since April 11. |
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| May 3 2021 | The Diamondbacks reinstated Walker (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Arizona will get some much-needed lineup reinforcements ahead of Tuesday's series opener in Miami with both Walker and outfielder Tim Locastro (finger) returning from the IL. Walker was sidelined for approximately three weeks with the right oblique strain, but after proving his health during simulated games, he should be ready to take over as Arizona's everyday first baseman. Pavin Smith will likely see more time in the corner outfield as a result. |
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| May 2 2021 | Walker (oblique) played five innings in a game Friday at Arizona's alternate site, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker came out of the session feeling good, per manager Torey Lovullo, who added the injured first baseman was scheduled to play seven innings Saturday. The Diamondbacks are hoping to have Walker back during the team's upcoming road trip that begins Tuesday. |
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| May 1 2021 | Walker (oblique) could appear in games at the alternate site this weekend, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Along with Walker, outfielder Tim Locastro (finger) could participate in alternate-site games this weekend, That means both players could potentially return before or during the Diamondbacks' upcoming road trip that begins Tuesday in Miami. Their returns would reshape the lineup, impacting the opportunities for Nick Heath, Josh Rojas and Pavin Smith. |
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| Apr 27 2021 | Walker (oblique) participated in batting practice Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old landed on the 10-day injured list April 12, and this is the first significant update in his recovery process. Walker is already eligible to be activated from the injured list, but it's unclear when he's expected to return to game action. |
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| Apr 12 2021 | Walker was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a strained right oblique. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Torey Lovullo had previously described Walker's issues as "normal aches and pains," but subsequent tests revealed an oblique strain which will cost the first baseman at least 10 days. Andrew Young was recalled in a corresponding move. Asdrubal Cabrera is starting at first base Monday, but Pavin Smith is a candidate for increased playing time in Walker's absence. |
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| Apr 11 2021 | Walker went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's sixth-inning sacrifice fly delivered the Diamondbacks' seventh run, and it was his third RBI over the first nine games. He's been slow out of the gate, going 4-for-32 in eight games before delivering his first multi-hit performance of the season Saturday. It looks like Walker is seeing the ball better, getting on base five times the last two games, including working three walks Friday. |
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| Apr 4 2021 | Walker (facial laceration) is in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There was some concern that Walker might have to sit as a result of a laceration and swelling under his right eye after a low throw to first base bounced up and struck him in the face Saturday. Apparently he's fine, and Walker will get a chance to improve upon his 1-for-9 career mark against right-hander Chris Paddack. |
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| Apr 3 2021 | Walker is considered day-to-day after suffering a bruise and laceration under his right eye during Saturday's loss to Padres, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old sustained the injury when a low throw from Josh Rojas bounced up and struck him in the face, forcing him to leave the contest. Walker's availability for Sunday's season finale is up in the air due to the injuries, though it appears he avoided any serious issues. |
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| Mar 24 2021 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a double in Tuesday's spring game against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker squared up a couple of balls, ripping a double that nearly was a home run and a single that left the bat at 108 MPH. He's been raking the last week of the Cactus League, going 7-for-13 with three doubles, one home run and eight RBI over four games. After experiencing a power drop in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Walker is looking to return to his 2019 levels. |
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| Mar 20 2021 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base in Friday's spring game against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The blast was Walker's fourth in 27 spring at-bats, an encouraging sign for the first baseman who had just seven long balls over 218 at-bats in 2020. "It builds confidence," Walker told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. "Because I'm not going up there thinking, 'Got to hit the ball in the air. Got to hit a homer.' I'm trusting some adjustments I made this offseason and trusting that that's going to be the result." Walker has been durable since becoming a regular in 2019, missing just 13 games the last two seasons. |
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| Mar 15 2021 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two RBI in Monday's spring game against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's hit three homers and knocked in six over eight Cactus League games. He experienced a drop off in 2020 but maintained a hard-hit rate from his breakout 2019 season. |
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| Mar 4 2021 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's spring game against the Indians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker slid back slightly in 2020 after a breakout 2019 season, but he should get plenty of plate appearances in 2021 as Arizona's starter at first base. |
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| Sep 25 2020 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs in Friday's win during Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker started the scoring off Friday with his home run in the bottom of the third inning as he hit his first homer since Sept. 8. The 29-year-old now has a .819 OPS with seven home runs and 34 RBI this year. |
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| Sep 19 2020 | Walker is not starting Saturday against the Astros, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker sits for just the fourth fime all season. Pavin Smith gets the start at first base, while Wyatt Mathisen will be the designated hitter. |
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| Sep 9 2020 | Walker went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Tuesday's loss against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has reached base safely in six straight games, but he has also gone 10 straight contests without two or more knocks. He's only hitting .189 in that stretch but has remained productive, racking up three homers and 10 RBI over that span. |
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| Sep 6 2020 | Walker is not in Sunday's lineup against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker will get a rare day off despite having a modest four-game hitting streak going. He will be replaced in the lineup by Jake Lamb, who is batting eighth and playing first base. |
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| Sep 3 2020 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker had just one home run over the first 28 games but has found his power stroke. Over the last eight contests, the first baseman is 9-for-30 (.300) with four homers and 12 RBI. On a separate note, Walker batted third in the order for the second straight game. That was the batting-order slot of the now-traded Starling Marte. |
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| Aug 29 2020 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker went deep in the fourth inning to get the Diamondbacks on the board, but that was the extent of their offense. The first baseman is slashing .309/.360/.512 with four homers, 21 RBI and 19 runs scored through 33 games this season. |
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| Aug 27 2020 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to Colorado. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker delivered runs in the fourth, eighth and ninth innings as the Diamondbacks found their offense late in the game after a stretch of run-producing futility. He had gone 11 games and 47 plate appearances without an RBI before knocking in six over the last three games. |
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| Aug 26 2020 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker launched his second homer in as many games and has eight hits (four extra-base hits) in the last 18 at-bats. The first baseman, who launched 29 home runs over 152 games last season, has just three over 30 games in 2020. He's one of several Diamondback hitters whose power stroke has fallen off. Arizona ranks 26th in MLB with 26 home runs. |
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| Aug 24 2020 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker's fourth inning homer briefly tied the game at two, but that would be it for the Diamondbacks' offense Monday. The first baseman is up to two homers, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored in 29 games. He's slashing .287/.347/.454 across 118 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 22 2020 | Walker went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker snapped out of a 2-for-18 slump with Friday's perfect night. The two doubles tie him for the league lead with 12 two-baggers. |
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| Aug 16 2020 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Saturday's win over the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has hit safely in four of the Diamondbacks' last five games, and he has produced multi-hit performances in each one of those four contests. The first baseman is hitting .286 with seven extra-base hits in 49 at-bats this month, but he has also struck out in 26.4 percent of his plate appearances during that span. |
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| Aug 11 2020 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker opened the scoring with a 450-foot blast off Rockies starter Kyle Freeland in the fourth inning. That was the first homer of the year for Walker, who has added 11 RBI, nine runs scored and a .290 batting average in 17 games. |
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| Aug 8 2020 | Walker is not in the lineup Saturday against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker sits for just the second time in the season's first 15 games. Jake Lamb will be the first baseman in his absence. |
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| Aug 7 2020 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was in the middle of a three-run sixth inning, plating a run with a double and later scoring. It was his league-leading seventh double of the season. Walker, who had a groin injury late in summer camp that limited his ability to play the field, started a fourth consecutive game at first base. |
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| Jul 31 2020 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a three-run double and a run scored during Friday's win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Arizona trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, Walker crushed a bases-clearing, go-ahead double off Blake Treinen to give the Diamondbacks the lead for good. The 29-year-old also singled in the fifth. Across seven games this season, Walker is 9-for-27 with four doubles. |
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| Jul 29 2020 | Walker started at first base and went 1-for-4 with two runs scored in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was Walker's first start in the field after dealing with a groin injury late in camp, which limited him to DH-duty only early in the season. His return to first base relegated Jake Lamb to designated hitter. Walker is 4-for-15 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored over four games. |
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| Jul 27 2020 | Walker started at designated hitter Monday and went 0-for-3 with a walk in a 6-2 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who was given a day off Sunday, returned to the lineup Monday. After a groin injury cropped up late in summer camp, Walker has been limited to three starts as the designated hitter. Ildemaro Vargas started at first base Monday after Jake Lamb started the first three games. |
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| Jul 26 2020 | Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game at San Diego. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Diamondbacks have struggled offensively to begin the season with only three runs through the first two games, and Walker has accounted for two of those runs by going 3-for-8 with a double and two RBI. Jake Lamb will start at first base Sunday, while Kevin Cron serves as the designated hitter. |
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| Jul 24 2020 | Walker (groin) went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker served as the designated hitter in Friday's game after some doubt that he would be ready for Opening Day. The 29-year-old's contribution to the offense came when he knocked in Starling Marte in the ninth inning. Walker swatted 29 homers and supplied 73 RBI while posting a .259/.348/.476 batting line in his first full season in 2019. With the National League adopting the designated hitter in 2020, Walker's bat should be in the lineup almost every day. |
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| Jul 22 2020 | Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Walker (groin) is expected to be ready for Friday's opener in San Diego, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker took at-bats at Chase Field on Tuesday but has not yet run the bases. He remains behind in Arizona while the rest of the team is preparing in Southern California. |
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| Jul 20 2020 | Walker (groin) worked out at Chase Field on Sunday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While the rest of Diamondbacks traveled to Los Angeles for a two-game exhibition set against the Dodgers, Walker stayed back in order to rehab his strained right groin. Manager Torey Lovullo is hopeful that he'll be ready for the opener Friday in San Diego. |
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| Jul 19 2020 | Walker (groin) received treatment Friday and is expected to resume baseball activity Sunday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he'd like to get Walker live at-bats a few days prior to Opening Day before feeling comfortable with him taking the field July 24 in San Diego. This could be a case where Walker serves as the designated hitter while Jake Lamb starts at first base. |
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| Jul 17 2020 | Walker (groin) could resume baseball activities this weekend, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker, who injured the groin Sunday of this week, is confident he'll ready to play Opening Day, whether as a first baseman, designated hitter or pinch hitter. If he's unable to start on the field, then Jake Lamb would be the likely fill-in. |
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| Jul 16 2020 | Walker (groin) feels confident he'll be ready to play by Opening Day on July 24 against the Padres, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker suffered the injury during Sunday's intrasquad game when he fully extended while diving for a line drive. On Monday, he underwent an MRI that showed the least severe strain (Grade 1) in his right groin. "I heard it's not a common injury in baseball, but NFL guys when they see it, they're usually back on the field the following Sunday," Walker said. "[I'm] optimistic [because] over the last two or three days it's gotten noticeably less sore." At the very least, the Diamondbacks' starting first baseman thinks he'll be ready to play against the Padres, whether that means being the designated hitter or pinch hitting. |
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| Jul 13 2020 | An MRI revealed Walker has a strained right groin Monday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Torey Lovullo said Walker is day-to-day and remains optimistic about being ready for Opening Day. The 29-year-old earned the starting first base job toward the end of last season, slashing .259/.348/.476 with 29 home runs and 73 RBI across 603 plate appearances. Walker could enter a platoon role with the left-handed hitting Jake Lamb depending on his health and success at the plate early in the season. |
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| Mar 20 2020 | Walker batted fifth in one of the final Cactus League games before MLB was suspended, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The lineup manager Torey Lovullo fielded Mar. 9 against the Royals looked like an Opening Day batting order. That lineup had the right-handed hitting Walker fifth behind lefty David Peralta and ahead of lefty Kole Calhoun. Lovullo may tweak the order so that he can alternate right-handed and left-handed batters, but Walker should be comfortable in the five hole. That's where he had his most plate appearances in 2019, when Walker took command of the first base job and swatted 29 home runs. The man he replaced at first base, Jake Lamb, had a good spring, but the job belongs to Walker right now and will be his whenever MLB opens its doors for the regular season. |
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| Feb 27 2020 | Walker went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's game against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker was slowed by general body soreness early in camp before making his spring debut Wednesday. The right-handed batting first baseman should be in the lineup daily after appearing in 152 games last season. |
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| Feb 26 2020 | Walker (upper body) will start at first base and bat fifth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: As anticipated, Walker will make his spring debut after he had been limited to begin camp due to general body soreness. With Opening Day still a month away, Walker has plenty of time to pick up the at-bats he needs to guarantee he avoids the injured list to begin the season. |
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| Feb 23 2020 | Walker is making a slow start to spring training due to general body soreness, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Torey Lovullo indicated it's not a serious concern and the 28-year-old could see game action as early as Tuesday, though there's no reason to rush him back at the start of spring training. Walker burst onto the scene in 2019 with a .259/.248/.476 slash line and 29 home runs in 152 games, and he's slated to begin this season as Arizona's starter at first base. |
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| Sep 28 2019 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker opened the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning off Padres starter Garrett Richards. The first baseman then took reliever David Bednar deep in the seventh, putting an exclamation point on the comeback effort. Walker is up to 29 homers, 73 RBI and 85 runs scored while slashing .259/.349/.476 in 151 games. |
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| Sep 25 2019 | Walker sits for the second straight game Wednesday against St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker didn't start Tuesday's game but wound up receiving six plate appearances in the 19-inning epic, going 0-for-4 with a pair of walks. Kevin Cron gets the start at first base Wednesday. |
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| Sep 24 2019 | Walker will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has gone 9-for-20 with a pair of homers over his last six games. Jake Lamb will get the start at first base in his absence. |
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| Sep 23 2019 | Walker went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in a 9-7 defeat for the Diamondbacks against the Cardinals on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was the 27th homer of the year for Walker, who cranked a fourth-inning solo shot off Adam Wainwright. It's been a streaky season for the 28-year-old, but his overall numbers are solid, to the tune of a .261/.346/.471 slash line across 147 games. |
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| Sep 18 2019 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and another run scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker launched a solo homer in the fifth inning to extend Arizona's lead to 5-3. After recently enduring a 2-for-24 slump, Walker appears to be heating up once again. He's batting .259/.342/.466 on the season with 26 home runs and 78 runs scored. |
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| Sep 16 2019 | Walker is not starting Monday against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker has gone 2-for-28 over his last eight games. Jake Lamb gets the nod at first base Monday in his absence. |
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| Sep 8 2019 | Walker is not starting Sunday against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Walker owns a strong .308/.379/.519 line over his last 14 games. Jake Lamb starts at first base in his place Sunday. |
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| Sep 1 2019 | Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers. | |
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| Aug 28 2019 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, RBI and a run Tuesday in the Diamondbacks' | 3-2 win over the Giants. |
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| Aug 26 2019 | Walker went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's | 5-2 win over the Brewers. |
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| Aug 21 2019 | Walker is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies. | |
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| Aug 17 2019 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's 11-6 loss to the Giants. | |
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| Aug 10 2019 | Walker isn't starting Saturday's game against the Dodgers. | |
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| Jul 31 2019 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the | Yankees. |
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| Jul 29 2019 | Walker (elbow) will start at first base and bat cleanup Monday against the Marlins. | |
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| Jul 28 2019 | Walker was hit twice by pitches Saturday and still has some swelling on his left | elbow as a result, leading to him being out of the lineup Sunday, Joe Frisaro of |
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| Jul 28 2019 | Walker is out of the lineup<\/a> for Sunday's game at Miami. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 26 2019 | Walker is not in the lineup<\/a> Friday against the Marlins. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 19 2019 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a pair of walks in Friday's 10-7 victory over the Brewers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 19 2019 | Walker went 0-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Milwaukee. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 16 2019 | Walker will not start<\/a> Tuesday against Texas. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 13 2019 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-2 win over St. Louis. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 5 2019 | Walker went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's 8-0 rout of the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 4 2019 | Walker went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss at Dodger Stadium. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 26 2019 | Walker is not in the lineup<\/a> Wednesday against the Dodgers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 24 2019 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, a pair of runs and a walk in the Diamondbacks' 8-5 win over the Dodgers on Monday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 20 2019 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 20 2019 | Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and walk entering as a pinch hitter in the sixth during a 6-4 loss to the Rockies on Thursday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 20 2019 | Walker is out of the lineup<\/a> for Thursday's game against the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 15 2019 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in a 10-3 victory over Washington on Saturday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 14 2019 | Walker is not starting Friday<\/a> against the Nationals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 11 2019 | Walker isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 4 2019 | Walker went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 3 2019 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Mets. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 1 2019 | Walker went 3-for-3 with a walk, a two-run homer and a second run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Mets. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 30 2019 | Walker went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs in the Diamondbacks' 11-10 defeat to the Rockies on Thursday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 29 2019 | Walker is not in the lineup<\/a> Wednesday against the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 29 2019 | Walker went hitless in four at-bats in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Rockies. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 27 2019 | Walker started at first base and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Giants. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 25 2019 | Walker is not starting Saturday<\/a> in San Francisco. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 22 2019 | Walker went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Padres. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 14 2019 | Walker went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Monday's 9-3 win over Pittsburgh. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 8 2019 | Walker is out of the lineup<\/a> for Wednesday's game against the Rays. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 2 2018 | Walker started in left field and went 2-for-5 with a run scored Sunday in the Diamondbacks' 9-6 loss to the Giants. | Walker picked up just his 11th career start in his 44th game in the big leagues, with the Diamondbacks and Orioles having previously limited him largely to pinch-hitting duties during cups of coffee over the last four-plus seasons. Though he's best suited to play first base, Walker seems likely to pick up any future starts in the corner outfield so long as Paul Goldschmidt remains healthy. The 27-year-old boasts ample power -- as evidenced by the 479-foot tater he hit off Clayton Kershaw back on May 1 -- but his high-strikeout tendencies and lack of defensive prowess in the outfield figure to limit his opportunities while he's up with the big club. |
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| Jun 29 2018 | Walker was called up from Triple-A Reno on Friday. | Walker has played in 17 games with the Diamondbacks this season, going 3-for-17 with two RBI and 10 strikeouts during his brief opportunities at the big-league level. He will supply a little extra depth all around the field but don't expect him to make much of an impact. Jimmie Sherfy was optioned to Reno in a corresponding move. |
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| Jun 10 2018 | Walker was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Sunday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic Arizona reports. | Walker will be utilized as a bench bat with the Diamondbacks for the time being as catcher Jeff Mathis is away from the team on paternity leave. Walker has collected two hits in his 16 at-bats with the big-league club this season. His stay in the majors could be short-lived. |
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| May 18 2018 | The Diamondbacks optioned Walker to Triple-A Reno on Friday. | Walker was recalled from Reno on Tuesday with the placement of A.J. Pollock on the disabled list, but the return of Jake Lamb (shoulder) made it a short stay in the majors. The 27-year-old is 2-for-16 with 10 strikeouts with the Diamondbacks this season, but has not seen a legitimate opportunity, given he has made only one start. |
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| May 15 2018 | Walker was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. | Walker will make his way back to the majors following A.J. Pollock's placement on the 10-day disabled list with a left thumb fracture. Walker went 2-for-15 with a home run in his numerous pinch-hit appearances earlier this season. He'll maintain a reserve role again following his promotion. |
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| May 2 2018 | Walker delivered a pinch-hit solo home run in the Diamondbacks' 4-3 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday. | Walker joined the Diamondbacks nearly a month ago following a stay at Triple-A Reno, but he has been limited to just one start and 14 total at-bats during his time with the big club. As he displayed Tuesday and throughout his 2017 campaign at Reno, Walker boasts impressive power, but his swing-and-miss ways and lack of defensive flexibility seem likely to limit him to a bench role so long as he sticks around in Arizona. It would probably take a injury to Paul Goldschmidt before Walker receives a longer look. |
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| Apr 19 2018 | Walker fouled out to first base in his pinch-hit appearance Wednesday in the Diamondbacks' 4-3 loss to the Giants in 10 innings. | After posting a .979 OPS for the Diamondbacks' Pacific Coast League affiliate in Reno in 2017 while repeating the Triple-A level for the fourth straight season, Walker was rewarded with an early season promotion to the big club when Jake Lamb (shoulder) hit the disabled list earlier this month. While his power makes him a higher-ceiling fantasy option than either of the replacement options (Daniel Descalso and Deven Marrero) the Diamondbacks have been using at third base in lieu of Lamb, Walker's lack of defensive polish has relegated him strictly to pinch-hitting duty during his stint with the big club. Walker hasn't helped his case for earning playing time by striking out in four of his five at-bats, so he'll be at high risk of losing his spot on the active roster once Lamb or Steven Souza (pectoral) is activated from the DL. |
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| Apr 7 2018 | The Diamondbacks recalled Walker from Triple-A Reno on Saturday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. | Walker was optioned to Triple-A Reno on March 20 after a strong spring training but will now have a major-league opportunity. The 27-year-old is likely to serve as first base and outfield depth for the Diamondbacks, but Steven Souza (pectoral) and Jake Lamb (shoulder) being on the disabled list could create some additional opportunities. |
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| Sep 23 2017 | Walker swatted a pinch-hit solo home run in Friday's 13-11 win over the Marlins. | The home run was Walker's first in the majors since 2014, when he received a cup of coffee with the Orioles. Prior to being promoted to the big club earlier this moth, Walker displayed major power with 32 home runs and 75 extra-base hits for Triple-A Reno, but his contact issues have thus far from prevented him from gaining much traction at the big-league level. It's unlikely that Walker will pick up consistent at-bats over the final week and change of the regular season with the Diamondbacks aiming to solidify playoff positioning. |
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| Sep 10 2017 | Walker's contract was selected from Triple-A Reno on Sunday. | Walker dazzled with Reno this season, as he hit .309/.382/.597 with 32 home runs and 114 RBI. However it remains to be seen if his power will translate to the majors due to the Pacific Coast League being rather hitter friendly. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks placed Randall Delgado on the 60-day disabled list. |
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| Jul 18 2017 | Walker, 26, is hitting .307 and maintains a .964 OPS across 403 plate appearances with Triple-A Reno this season. | Walker has been one of the top performers in all of the minors this season, with his 89 RBI and 22 home runs ranking first and third, respectively, across all leagues. However, with the Pacific Coast League skewing very hitter friendly and Walker in the midst of his fourth straight season at Triple-A, his overwhelming statistics do little to change his standing as a non-prospect. The Diamondbacks seemingly validated that thinking this past spring, when they removed Walker from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to Reno after he went unclaimed off waivers. |
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| May 19 2017 | Walker, 26, is slashing .306/.381/.631 with 25 extra-base hits across 181 plate appearances with Triple-A Reno this season. | Walker is doing a tour of Triple-A for the fourth consecutive season and is making a compelling case for a spot on the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. His 46 RBI on the season are the most in the minors, while his 12 homers are tied for the top mark across all levels. That sort of production would normally put Walker on the radar for a promotion to the big leagues, but the Diamondbacks' decision to drop him from the 40-man roster coming out of spring training may make his road to the majors more difficult. |
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| Mar 30 2017 | Walker was outrighted to Triple-A Reno on Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. | Two days after claiming Walker, the Diamondbacks have passed him through waivers and outrighted him off the 40-man roster. He'll spend the year as organizational depth in 2017. |
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| Mar 28 2017 | Walker was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. | Walker was designated for assignment after the Reds claimed Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Brewers. The 26-year-old was 7-for-37 (.189) this spring before being optioned down to Triple-A. He carries some power potential, but he'll likely spend the year as organizational depth with the Diamondbacks in 2017. |
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| Mar 6 2017 | Walker was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Monday, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. | Walker was claimed by the Braves last week, but they were apparently unable to send him through waivers themselves, as Cincinnati snatched him and designated Jumbo Diaz for assignment in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old carries some intrigue with his power potential, as he slashed .264/.321/.437 with 18 homers in 504 at-bats with Triple-A Norfolk last season. He'll try to catch on as a reserve for the big league club, but could find himself as organizational depth in 2017. |
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| Feb 25 2017 | Walker was claimed off waivers by the Braves on Saturday. | Atlanta evidently sees potential in Walker, a 2012 fourth-round draft pick who was DFA'd by Baltimore earlier this week. The 25-year-old has shown power potential at the plate, recording 18 home runs and 64 RBI for Triple-A Norfolk last season. Walker will report to the Braves' spring training camp to compete for a reserve spot on the major league roster, but could open 2017 serving as organizational depth. |
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| Feb 21 2017 | Walker has been dropped from the 40-man roster and designated for assignment, Dan Connolly reports. | Walker was on the lineup card to play first base in today's intrasquad game, but was a late scratch once he was DFA'd to make room for lefty Richard Bleier who was acquired from the Yankees. It was a bit surprising to Walker dropped from the 40-man roster, but the 25-year-old has no chance to play first base for the Orioles and the outfield is already overcrowded. General manager Dan Duquetter said Walker became expendable after the team re-signed Mark Trumbo. |
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| Feb 3 2017 | Walker arrived in Sarasota early to get a head start on spring training and continue his transition to a new position, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. | With a logjam at first base, Walker's regular position, the Orioles' fourth-round pick in 2012 made a position switch to left field last spring. He climbed the ranks quickly, but without an opening at first, Walker's been stuck at Triple-A Norfolk for the past two seasons. The 25-year-old has smashed 62 homers over his last three minor league seasons and ranks as the organization's No. 15 prospect. There's not a ton of room in the outfield, but Walker will get a fair chance this spring to earn an Opening Day roster spot. |
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| May 16 2016 | Walker has handled his transition from first base to the outfield well, MASN Sports reports. | The move to the outfield could pay off in the long run as left field remains a position of weakness for the Orioles. Joey Rickard is handling things for now, but it remains to be seen if he is the permanent answer. Walker's offensive numbers mirror his 2015 season and the Orioles hope he can be a more consistent hitter in the future. He hit .300/.357/.500 in April, but is just .180/.254/.410 in May. Walker does have seven home runs and he could be a power option in the future. |
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| Mar 26 2016 | Walker was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday, Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid Atlantic reports. | Manager Buck Showalter was complimentary of Walker's spring training performance, but the roster needed to be trimmed down with Opening Day approaching. Walker belted four home runs and drove in 14 runs in his 42 spring training at-bats before being sent down. Dubroff reports that Walker will be the every day left fielder at Norfolk. That said, the Orioles will be trying to get by with an inexperienced Hyun-soo Kim and an injury prone Nolan Reimold in left this season, so Walker could be a prime candidate for a call-up if either of those players struggle or get injured. |
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| Mar 22 2016 | Walker appears headed for Triple-A despite a strong spring, where he will log at-bats in left field, MASN Sports reports. | The move to left field was necessary after the Orioles signed Chris Davis to a long term deal. The Orioles also have a good prospect in Trey Mancini, who should serve in the first base role at Triple-A. Walker could have a path to Baltimore later this season if the current left field options -- Hyun-soo Kim and Nolan Reimold -- underperform. |
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| Mar 16 2016 | Walker played in left field during Tuesday's Grapefruit league game and went 1-for-3 with a double. | The outfield is new to Walker, who is a first baseman with very little minor league experience at third base. Things went well Tuesday, as Walker picked up an outfield assist by gunning down Troy Tulowitzki at third base. With plenty of depth at the MLB level at first base, Walker might be able to find a new avenue to make the team by converting to the outfield. It was not thought to be likely that Walker would break camp with the Orioles, but Hyun-soo Kim has struggled this spring and the team appears to be opening iself up to other options. |
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| Mar 14 2016 | Walker went 2-for-3 with a home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. | Walker did not stand out last season at Triple-A, but he has been one of the better bats for the Orioles this spring. He is the only member of the club with multiple home runs. Walker is still ticketed for Triple-A and he might need multiple injuries in order to see playing time in Baltimore this season. |
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| Sep 15 2015 | Walker was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. | Walker made his major league debut during a brief stint with the Orioles back in July, but he's spent the vast majority of the year at Triple-A, where he holds a .257/.324/.423 slash line with 74 RBI and 18 home runs. With Norfolk's season now over, Walker add depth at first base to the Baltimore roster. |
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| Jul 8 2015 | The Orioles recalled Walker from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. | Walker, who appeared in six games with the big club last season, will join the Orioles for the first time in 2015. He figures to see some action at first base, mainly against left-handed pitching. |
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| Jul 8 2015 | Walker was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk following Wednesday's game, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports. | Walker saw his first major league action of the season after being recalled Wednesday, going 1-for-2 with a single and a walk before being replaced by Jimmy Paredes. He'll now return to Triple-A Norfolk with Nolan Reimold (paternity) set to rejoin the club Thursday. |
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| Jul 7 2015 | Walker will be recalled by the Orioles prior to Wednesday's game, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports. | He has five home runs and 20 doubles while hitting .266 in 78 games at Triple-A this season. Walker is a first baseman by trade, and should see a few starts each week, splitting time with Chris Parmelee. |
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| Mar 16 2015 | Walker was sent to minor league camp Monday after going 1-for-12 in Grapefruit League games this spring, according to MASN Sports. | Walker got a long look this spring, playing in 10 games. There is a chance he could break in with the big league club if an opportunity presents itself this season. The Orioles have some organizational depth in the outfield, including Dariel Alvarez and Henry Urrutia, who should also begin the season at Triple-A. Walker's best path might be at first base. The Orioles may be grooming Walker for the job if Chris Davis and Steve Pearce sign elsewhere in free agency after the season. |
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| Sep 17 2014 | Walker's contract was officially selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports. | The 23-year-old slashed .259/.335/.428 with six home runs in 44 games at Norfolk, and will offer another right-handed bat off the bench, and some low-end depth at first base. |
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| Sep 17 2014 | Walker is expected to join the Orioles on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports. | Walker will give the Orioles another bat off the bench, and will provide Steve Pearce with some relief at first base after the suspension of Chris Davis. He hit 26 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season, providing the Orioles with a little added pop, but should be used mainly off the bench and as a spot starter. |
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