Mariners’ Taijuan Walker leaves with foot injury, hopes to make next start
Jun 14, 2016, 9:44 PM | Updated: Jun 15, 2016, 9:45 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker left his start against Tampa Bay on Tuesday night with what was first announced to be an aggravated right Achilles tendon. After Seattle’s 8-7 loss, manager Scott Servais said the injury was actually to Walker’s posterior tibial tendon, which runs alongside the the Achilles and helps control the arch.
While it was hard to see that anything was wrong from the press box or even by watching a close-up of Walker exiting the field, head trainer Rick Griffin noticed in the fourth inning that he was no longer using his legs and went out to check on him.
“It bothered him, so he was using all arm to throw,” Griffin said. “He can’t do that.”
Walker spent a couple of innings on the bench and then was seen by the Rays’ team orthopedist, who confirmed it was posterior tibial tendinitis, something that Walker dealt with earlier in the year.
“It was feeling good for the last couple of weeks but popped up again,” Walker said. “Hopefully get it taken care of and be ready for my next start.”
Walker felt the initial discomfort on a pitch in the second inning. He had ice on the foot after the game, and the training staff will work to get the inflammation out of the area and find a way to better support the arch with orthotics.
While this seems manageable, Walker was clearly disappointed to be dealing with another in-game injury. He left a game earlier in this season with neck spasms.
“It just kind of sucks,” he said. “I felt really good today, I felt everything was working, but it’s something I can’t control.”
