PORT ST. LUCIE — Taijuan Walker threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Tuesday however isn’t able to predict he might be prepared to start out the season with the Mets.
The precise-hander underwent surgical procedure on Jan. 14 to take away broken cartilage from his proper knee. Talking to reporters for the primary time since his surgical procedure was revealed, Walker mentioned a chunk of cartilage fragmented in his kneecap throughout offseason exercises, and he opted to right away endure the process.
“I don’t wish to actually put a timetable to it, however I really feel good,” Walker mentioned. “I’m progressing to it. I've been operating, however we simply wish to ensure that the knee is powerful and steady now that I'm able to work with trainers and energy coaches.”
Walker indicated he's most likely one to 2 weeks behind the remainder of the pitchers in spring coaching. One other Mets pitcher coming back from surgical procedure, Carlos Carrasco, has already confronted dwell hitters. Carrasco underwent surgical procedure final October to take away a bone fragment from his proper elbow that he says he pitched with for the previous seven seasons.
Carrasco was requested why he lastly determined to endure the surgical procedure.
“I wish to push myself to play extra baseball,” he mentioned. “It’s onerous to stroll away. I simply wish to proceed to pitch, and I feel it was the time to do it, seven years with that, so we did and the whole lot is okay.”
Each veteran pitchers, in keeping with supervisor Buck Showalter, will proceed with warning. Showalter indicated it’s potential Walker and Carrasco might be restricted to quick stints to start the season.
“We’ll see the place we get with these guys,” Showalter mentioned. “We're approaching it like they're shut. It could be so simple as the size of their outings aren’t there early on. The query is do we wish them to pitch some place else to get stretched out or begin them with a three-inning stint?”
Walker was an All-Star final season however struggled within the second half to complete with a 4.47 ERA. He mentioned he’s not sure if the innings buildup — he hadn’t pitched a full season since 2017 — contributed to his late-season hunch.
“On the finish of the day I simply didn’t do my job,” Walker mentioned. “I didn’t go on the market and carry out the best way I did within the first half. So my objective is simply to be constant all through the entire 12 months this 12 months.”
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