Mets' Taijuan Walker still bothered by knee months after surgery
Mets' Taijuan Walker (99) throws in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: AP
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Soreness in his right knee forced Taijuan Walker out of his final exhibition appearance a few innings earlier than planned, but he said he still will “be ready to pitch” in his season debut Monday as scheduled — though with a lower pitch limit than previously expected.
Walker recorded only four outs in the Mets’ 14-0 loss to the Nationals, their last spring training game. After a perfect first inning, he allowed hits to six of seven batters, totaling about 40 pitches before manager Buck Showalter pulled him. He allowed six runs, struck out none and walked none.
“We didn’t want to push it, so we just shut it down,” Walker said. “I really couldn’t use my leg at all. Even in the bullpen. We just thought we’d try it out — go out and see how it feels.”
With this development, three-fifths of the Mets’ would-be rotation is dealing with at least a minor physical issue. Max Scherzer is expected to be fine despite right hamstring tightness, and Jacob deGrom is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his right scapula.
Walker had surgery to remove damaged tissue from his right knee in January. Entering camp, he was behind the other starting pitchers, but he said Tuesday that he “felt like I caught up” — until this.
“A little frustrating, because he’s come so far and has been so good,” said Showalter, who was less committed to Monday. “Knee was a little barky today, but we got an extra day (before Walker’s next time out. He could’ve continued, but there wasn’t any reason to.”
The source of the renewed discomfort, Walker said, were adjustments he and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have been trying to make to his delivery. Those changes “really put a lot of pressure on that knee,” he said.
“We’ve been working on some mechanical stuff, loading on that back side,” Walker said. “I think we just put a little too much stress on it. It started aching a little bit throughout the week. We thought it would go away, but still nothing concerning. Just cautionary reasons, just wanted to come out.”
Walker guessed he will be able to throw 60-65 pitches against the Phillies on Monday, his first real game of the year. He finished 2021 with a 4.47 ERA, an All-Star first half juxtaposed with a bad second half.
Nimmo’s neck
Brandon Nimmo received an injection of “a form of cortisone” Monday, Showalter said, “just to loosen everything.”
He has been dealing with what the Mets are calling a stiff neck. The injection yielded improvement, according to Showalter, but Nimmo’s status for Opening Day is uncertain.
Hi, Joely
Getting traded from the Yankees to the Mets last weekend was exciting for Joely Rodriguez, who had felt a bit buried on the lefthanded reliever depth chart. In addition to closer Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees have Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge as bullpen southpaws.
With the Mets, it’ll be just Rodriguez and Chasen Shreve, who won a job during spring training.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been traded, but I’m excited for the opportunity I have here,” Rodriguez said through an interpreter Tuesday. “I feel like I have more of an opportunity to pitch because with the Yankees there were more lefties, and here there aren’t as many.”
Spring scene
The Nationals outhit the Mets, 20-3. The game took 2 hours and 55 minutes, longer than a usual spring training getaway day but shorter than it felt to Showalter. “Ugh,” he said.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
