The Seattle Mariners placed starting pitcher Taijuan Walker on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with a right foot injury.
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Walker’s Foot Problems Persist
Wednesday, July 6
MLB.com’s Greg Johns reported the news on Walker’s status and had the story on the 23-year-old’s exit from Tuesday’s start against the Houston Astros.
The foot was clearly bothering Walker when he left the mound in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at Houston. He had yielded five runs and three homers in four-plus innings of work.
The Mariners have to be concerned with Walker at this juncture. He also left a start in June with right foot tendinitis, which seems to be flaring up again.
According to ESPN.com news services, Tuesday marked the third time this season a right foot problem has forced Walker out of a game.
“Taijuan obviously still isn’t quite right,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais on Tuesday, per the ESPN.com report. “He struggled, and he’s trying to pitch through it, but we probably have to re-evaluate where we are at here. We will have it looked at again.”
Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported on Wednesday that Walker will meet with a foot and ankle specialist to treat his ailment.
With top-10 MLB rankings in runs scored and team ERA, it’s a wonder Seattle isn’t further north of .500, as the club sits at 43-41.
In terms of pitching, Walker’s ongoing injury issues hinder the depth of the team’s starting staff. Longtime Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is already on the DL with a strained calf, and after only one start, Adrian Sampson was declared out for the season in late June with a right elbow injury that required surgery.
The good news is the All-Star break is quickly approaching, providing Servais and Seattle more time to draw up a game plan for a hopeful playoff push.
Hernandez is also due back soon, confirming on Wednesday, per Divish, that he’ll make a rehab start for the Class-A Everett AquaSox on Sunday.
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