Walker resumes pitching at Double-A: Mariners pitching prospect Taijuan Walker returned to the hill for Double-A Jackson on Monday, a week after spraining his right ankle in a start. Walker didn't seem hobbled at all as he held Mobile to two runs on four hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out six. Walker is 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in eight starts. He also has 41 strikeouts to 12 walks in 39 1/3 innings. (Updated 05/22/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Whether or not Walker was going to miss time because of his ankle injury wasn't going to alter his 2012 outlook. It's good the 19-year-old hurler is already at Double-A, but Walker has just 26 starts and 143 innings of minor-league baseball under his belt. He still has many more innings to log before a chance at the MLB rotation. Walker's numbers are impressive, which puts him as a viable long-term Fantasy keeper, but he is still a few years away from a Fantasy impact. (Updated 05/22/2012).
03/27/2012 15:32 First pitch in Fantasy already upon us
Get ready for a strange Week 1 of the 2012 Fantasy Baseball season with a look at the pitching staffs headed to Japan. Al Melchior tells you who to target and who to avoid from the Mariners and Athletics.
Though he played mostly shortstop in high school, Taijuan Walker showed enough potential as a pitcher for the Mariners to invest a supplemental first-round pick in him in 2010. And if his work during his first full professional season is any indication, he might be the steal of the draft. He dominated hitters at Class A Clinton, demonstrating a Michael Pineda-like arsenal with a high-90s fastball and a healthy breaking ball, and his control is surprisingly good for a player so new to pitching. Though Walker is hardly a finished product at age 19, his early dominance is an indication that, like Pineda, he should advance to the big leagues at some point in his early 20s. He won't arrive in 2012, so his short-term appeal is virtually nonexistent. But if you're looking for a bit of a project in a long-term keeper league, Walker is probably the best among the options likely to be available. He's already dominant and he only figures to get better as he gains experience. (Updated 1/5/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
= probable start