Mets' Neil Walker Confirms He Will Undergo Surgery, Miss Rest Of Season
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mets second baseman Neil Walker confirmed Thursday that he will undergo season-ending back surgery.
Walker has been diagnosed with a herniated disc that is causing numbness in one of his legs.
He said the issue has gotten worse and that he has no feeling in his toes because the disc is pressing against a nerve. He said surgery is the best option, adding it was a "very difficult decision" he made after receiving opinions from three doctors.
"The more I tried to push through it, the more I realized I was hurting the team and myself," Walker said.
The recovery time is three months.
It's the latest blow to the hard-luck 2016 Mets, whose disabled list includes pitchers Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, third baseman David Wright, first baseman Lucas Duda and outfielder Juan Lagares. Noah Syndergaard, Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes also have been battling lingering injuries.
The Mets have won nine of their last 11 to close to 1½ games behind St. Louis for the second National League wild card spot.
Walker proved to be one of the Mets' most dependable hitters this season. The seven-year veteran, whom the Mets acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh in the offseason, is batting .282 and has matched his career high with 23 home runs. He had been particularly hot since July 27, hitting .440 with seven homers.
"We're certainly very disappointed that it comes to this," manager Terry Collins said after Wednesday night's game. "He's had a tremendous year for us."
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.
He is set to become a free agent this winter.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
