Major League Baseball

Walker dealing with herniated disk in back surgery an option

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:00 p.m. ET

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NEW YORK (AP) Second baseman Neil Walker was out of the New York Mets' lineup for a fourth straight day and the team revealed he has a herniated disk in his back.

Both Walker and the Mets had previously classified the injury as a stiff back. Manager Terry Collins indicated he wasn't at liberty to reveal the exact diagnosis during Tuesday's pre-game news conference, but general manager Sandy Alderson shared the condition to a few reporters early Wednesday afternoon.

Collins was pressed for additional details before the Mets took on the Miami Marlins.

''The issue is, the herniated disk is causing weakness in one of his legs,'' Collins said. ''The weakness is causing numbness in one of his feet. The numbness is keeping him from playing.''

The Mets were waiting for a second opinion on Walker's condition to determine if surgery is necessary immediately or if he could try to play through the injury over the final 4 1/2 weeks of the regular season.

Walker has matched his career high with 23 home runs in his first season with the Mets.

Walker's 2012 season with Pittsburgh ended prematurely with a similar injury. He went through six weeks of physical therapy to rehabilitate a disk in his lower back.

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