New York Mets

Mets: Neil Walker will likely have season-ending back surgery

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mets will be without Walker for September run in what has been an injury filled 2016.

The New York Mets have become like the boat that can’t plug up all the holes on the injury front. That continued when it was announced that Neil Walker will likely have season-ending surgery on his back.

First of all, we’re wishing Walker a speedy recovery. Secondly, the hero of Wednesday’s win — Kelly Johnson — will see an even further increase in playing time going into September.

This comes on the heels of Mets GM Sandy Alderson stating just hours earlier that the injury should not be a season-finisher for Walker. To date, Walker has tied his career-high for homers in a season (23) in 113 games played and was on track for the highest slugging percentage of his eight-year career.

When the Mets acquired Walker, there was a real comfort about what type of player they were receiving. Walker had been a fairly consistent player throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh.

The only real question was if he could stay healthy after dealing with injuries throughout parts of his career that would cut about 30-40 games off most seasons.

Luckily, the Mets’ infield is built with a lot of movable parts and players who can play multiple positions with Johnson, Wilmer Flores, and Jose Reyes. However, Walker’s bat and his normally steady defense will certainly be missed.

After opening the week with three straight wins against Miami, the Mets are starting to show signs of a September push.

And there are still enough pieces in place for that final run. We have also seen an elevation from several players around Yoenis Cespedes to new heights, which has really contributed to a more productive offense.

There’s no question that missing Walker will hurt, but if this latest stretch is any indication then we may be talking about somebody else playing at a much higher level to compensate for the loss.

That’s been the theme as this team heads into the final month of the season, with each series growing more important.

More from Rising Apple

,

Mets will be without Walker for September run in what has been an injury filled 2016.

The New York Mets have become like the boat that can’t plug up all the holes on the injury front. That continued when it was announced that Neil Walker will likely have season-ending surgery on his back.

First of all, we’re wishing Walker a speedy recovery. Secondly, the hero of Wednesday’s win — Kelly Johnson — will see an even further increase in playing time going into September.

This comes on the heels of Mets GM Sandy Alderson stating just hours earlier that the injury should not be a season-finisher for Walker. To date, Walker has tied his career-high for homers in a season (23) in 113 games played and was on track for the highest slugging percentage of his eight-year career.

When the Mets acquired Walker, there was a real comfort about what type of player they were receiving. Walker had been a fairly consistent player throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh.

The only real question was if he could stay healthy after dealing with injuries throughout parts of his career that would cut about 30-40 games off most seasons.

Luckily, the Mets’ infield is built with a lot of movable parts and players who can play multiple positions with Johnson, Wilmer Flores, and Jose Reyes. However, Walker’s bat and his normally steady defense will certainly be missed.

After opening the week with three straight wins against Miami, the Mets are starting to show signs of a September push.

And there are still enough pieces in place for that final run. We have also seen an elevation from several players around Yoenis Cespedes to new heights, which has really contributed to a more productive offense.

There’s no question that missing Walker will hurt, but if this latest stretch is any indication then we may be talking about somebody else playing at a much higher level to compensate for the loss.

That’s been the theme as this team heads into the final month of the season, with each series growing more important.

More from Rising Apple

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