Foot injury forces Mariners’ Taijuan Walker from second straight start
Jun 19, 2016, 3:12 PM | Updated: 4:30 pm
BOSTON – Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker made it through the majority of his work in preparation for Sunday against the Red Sox without the pain he experienced in his last start. He threw a bullpen and everything checked out fine. In warmups at Fenway Park, everything felt good. But just two batters into the first inning, the pain returned.
“After the first at-bat, it didn’t get any better,” Walker said in the visitors clubhouse following Seattle’s 2-1 loss.
Walker kept Boston scoreless over five innings but was lifted after throwing 88 pitches. The 23-year-old was clearly disappointed that he was unable to stay in the game. He wasn’t the only one.
“He really competed his tail off,” manager Scott Servais said. “He really gutted it out. I would have liked to keep riding it because he was getting ’em out, but with the information I got, everyone thought it was best to get him out at that point, which was tough. It’s a tough game, tight game, he was getting them out, but it was bothering him.”
When asked if Walker would be able to make his start, Servais was noncommittal.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
While disappointing, this wasn’t a complete surprise. Servais said heading into the outing that he was concerned and anxious to see how Walker’s foot would respond. It is impossible to replicate game speed and intensity and while Walker felt good about the foot during his in-between work, game day was different.
“It felt really good this week, even in the bullpen,” Walker said. “I think just going out there and the extra intensity, really getting after it; pushing off just kind of made it start barking again.
“It just sucks because every time I push off I felt it and if I don’t push off I use all arm,” he added. “Being in the situations every inning where I really had to get after it, with runners in scoring positions every inning, was a stressful inning.”
What happens next remains to be seen. Rest is the best remedy for the tendinitis. The Mariners already have starters No.’s 6 and 7 in the rotation with the injuries to Felix Hernandez and Wade Miley. Miley is expected to be ready to come off the disabled list when eligible, the day after the June 27 off day.
If Walker were to be placed on the DL, the Mariners would need to cover one of his starts before Miley can rejoin the rotation. One option would be to start reliever Mike Montgomery and bring back David Rollins – who was optioned to Triple-A Saturday – to fill Montgomery’s spot in the pen. Another possibility is calling up Donn Roach, who is 4-4, with a 4.72 ERA in 13 starts for Triple-A Tacoma.
For now, Walker is concentrating on doing what he can to get ready for his next start Friday.
“We’re going to do what we did last time, probably a little extra and see how it goes,” he said.
