Mariners notebook: Taijuan Walker most likely done for the season

It was a good first full year for Taijuan Walker, but the Mariners' young pitcher is likely done for the 2015 campaign.

BY SHANNON DRAYER

Sep 24, 2015, 5:51 PM Updated: 6:07 pm

Taijuan Walker probably won't pitch again in 2015, but he finished strong with his last pitch clocking in at 96. (AP)

(AP)

KANSAS CITY – It appears that Taijuan Walker’s Sept. 14 start against the Angels was his last of the 2015 season. The Mariners have announced Vidal Nuno will start Friday in Anaheim, though there was a possibility that Walker could make that start, making it doubtful there will be another appearance for Walker this season.

“Taijuan is most likely done for the year,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. “I weighed a lot of things, ensuring that he’s healthy and goes into next season feeling good about what he has accomplished this year. I weighed a lot of things and that outweighed everything else. His health is the most important thing. To run him out there at this juncture of the season is not a win-win. The best thing to do is make sure he is healthy going into next year. He’s built to go 200 (innings) next year and let’s leave it there.”

Walker said the news was expected but still disappointing. He is not quite in the shut-it-down mindset yet, however.

“I feel like anything can still happen,” he said, referring to the Mariners’ slimmest of playoff chances. “I am still going to play catch a little bit. I always want to be ready. I still feel good, I still feel strong.”

There is little question he is still strong. His final pitch of the season was a 96 MPH strike to Erick Aybar. After pitching just 120 innings (plus fall ball and sim games) last year, however, 169 2/3 innings is enough of a jump in his first full year in the big leagues. Plenty has been learned and plenty has been accomplished on the field. While he showed improvement with his changeup and reintroduced his curveball, McClendon points to the mindset Walker carries from start to start as his biggest step forward this year.

“Competing each and every time out, good or bad,” he said. “Learning from it and the ability to turn the page and get ready for the next one. I think he has done a tremendous job of it.”

Walker talked his progress this season on the pregame show.

“I learned a lot about pitching, using offspeed, mixing pitches, competing,” he said. “I think that was the biggest thing. You are going to go through times where you have a couple bad starts, but keep working hard and eventually you will be rewarded.”

Walker has been rewarded in the second half of the season. In his last 19 starts he has gone 9-3 with a 3.87 ERA. He’s walked just 17 in that time and struck out 110. This is what McClendon wants Walker to focus on in the offseason looking toward next year.

“He has a lot to prepare for,” he said. “He’s had some success, he’s tasted it and I believe he wants more.”

Notes

• Tom Wilhelmsen will not be available to pitch tonight. Carson Smith most likely is out too.

• The Royals’ magic number coming into the game is 2. The Mariners’ numbers for elimination are 3 in division and 5 in the wild card.