SARASOTA, Fla. -- Taijuan Walker has one more Grapefruit League start on Monday before he faces the Reds at Citizens Bank Park on April 1.

He’s running out of time to get ready.

“It’s getting there, just a lot slower than I would like,” Walker said during Wednesday night’s 13-4 loss to the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. “I feel like each start it’s crept up. I don’t know. I’ve been putting a lot of work in. I’ve been working hard. Really, really hard.”

Walker allowed five hits, seven runs, three walks and three home runs in just 2 2/3 innings against Baltimore. He struck out one. His fastball sat in the 89-92 mph range, after it sat 88-90 mph in his first spring start on March 9.

“He’s trying to find it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Hopefully he does in the next week or two.”

Walker’s velocity has been a focus this spring. A big reason why he did not pitch in the 2023 postseason is the Phillies did not know what they would get from Walker, whose fastball velocity fluctuated wildly from start to start.

Walker entered camp hoping to find a more consistent fastball, but he fell behind schedule. He missed time earlier in camp because of personal reasons. He missed more time because of a balky right knee.

“I feel good, the body feels good, it feels a lot better than when I came into camp,” Walker said. “I feel like my body is moving so good right now. Very athletic. Moving quick. Again, we’ve really been busting our [butts], working really hard.”

The Phillies are counting on Walker’s ability to repeat or even improve upon his 2023 season (15-6, 4.38 ERA, 31 starts). They had arguably baseball’s best rotation last season with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, Walker and Cristopher Sánchez. It is one reason why they never expressed any interest in Blake Snell, who recently signed with the Giants. It is why they remain unlikely to sign Jordan Montgomery. Sources said a few weeks ago the Phillies would be interested in Montgomery on a one- or two-year deal, but they would have to shed payroll elsewhere to avoid crossing the third luxury tax threshold.

“It’s there,” Walker said about his velocity. “It’s not like it’s not there. It’s there.”

The Phillies’ defense cost Walker two outs early in the first before Anthony Santander hammered a splitter for a one-out, three-run homer to make it 3-0. Ryan O’Hearn then hit a 91-mph fastball for a two-out, solo homer to make it 4-0.

“The question was always about the first inning last year,” Thomson said. “We’ve got to figure that one out.”

Pitchers in the spring can leave and reenter games if their pitch count reaches a certain number. Walker left in the first when he hit 31. He returned for the second. Adley Rutschman doubled, and Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run homer on a backdoor slider to make it 7-0.

Walker threw 61 pitches overall.

“I feel like the splitter is there,” he said. “I gave up the home run [to Santander], but I got a lot of weak contact ground balls, which is what I like. I think the uptick in velocity upticks everything. I think I topped out at 93 mph. I’ve got one more start, then go into the [season]. It’s a lot different with 40,000 fans in the regular season. If I’m topping out at 93 here, then who knows in the regular season?”