New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker is on the injured list with right shoulder bursitis.
The Mets starting rotation, which was predicted by many to be one of the best in all of baseball in 2022, is without two solid pieces, those being Walker and staff ace Jacob deGrom.
The rotation is still off to quite a solid start, however.
Walker’s timeline for recovery now looks a little bit clearer.
Mets insider Tim Healey revealed on Twitter that Walker said he has played catch in back-to-back days.
Walker hopes to make a rehab start at some point next week, with a four-inning outing being his goal, which would set him up for a return the next time the Mets go through their rotation.
Taijuan Walker (right shoulder bursitis) said he played catch for a second day in a row today.
He hopes to make a rehab start in the middle of next week. A four-inning outing then would set him up for a likely return the next time through the rotation.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 15, 2022
Walker On The Mend
This is good news for the Mets, who have received a lot of tough news lately about the state of their rotation.
Having Walker back would give them a veteran presence in the rotation to go along with Max Scherzer.
The veteran right-hander was injured just one start into the 2022 season after throwing two scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Walker had a somewhat difficult season in 2021, going 7-11 and posting a 4.47 ERA over 29 starts and 30 total appearances.
A healthy Walker would give the Mets a major boost in their rotation, which despite injuries has performed well to this point.
For his career, the 29-year-old right-hander is 42-45 with a lifetime 3.96 ERA in 742 2/3 innings pitched.
Time will tell if Walker feels good enough to make a rehab start next week.
If all goes according to plan, he should be back with the Mets in no time.
NEXT: Mets Insider Shares A New Jacob deGrom Injury Timeline