BAD TO WORSE
There is no good injury news these days for the Mets, and Tuesday afternoon brought the latest dose of pessimistic reports from manager Terry Collins.
Second baseman Neil Walker, out of the lineup for a third consecutive game, has a nagging back problem that isn’t going away, and could severely limit him going forward. Pitcher Steven Matz, still feeling discomfort in his left shoulder, was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday, and shut down for the next few days.
And so it goes for this injury-riddled team, already without Lucas Duda, David Wright, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Juan Lagares likely for the rest of the year.
A source told The Post Walker is suffering from a lower back condition and has felt tingling there. The plan is for him to get a second opinion and attempt to play through it. When asked about a published report stating the injury was more serious than the Mets were letting on, Collins declined comment. Before the game, he used the word “if ” when talking about Walker’s return to the lineup.
“There’s nothing I can really say. We’ll see where we’re at [Wednesday]” the normally media-friendly Walker told reporters before rushing out of the clubhouse following the Mets’ 7-4 win over the Marlins.
Collins was ambiguous concerning Walker before the game, unwilling to go into much detail about his condition, saying the second baseman could be in the lineup Wednesday night, that he is feeling better. Walker, who underwent further tests on Monday, will need rest every few days, according to Collins, and won’t be playing as many as five consecutive games the rest of the year.
“There’s a lot of concern,” Collins said. “We thought [Monday] night he felt pretty good when he left. He wants to wait one more day, which I totally get. The more rest, the better he’s going to feel. We’ll just see how he is [on Wednesday].”
Walker has downplayed the back problem, saying it is something he’s dealt with off and on, that it usually goes away in time. However, he missed four games on a recent road trip because of it, and now it’s acting up again.
“It’s going to be something he’s going to have to manage as he continues to play,” Collins said. “If he gets back in the lineup, is he going to be an everyday guy? Yeah, but with days of rest mixed in.”
Collins left open the possibility Matz could both be out for the rest of the season and Walker will be severely limited. Matz, placed on the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 15, threw off a mound Sunday, but felt discomfort in his left shoulder early in the session. It went away by the end of it, but returned Monday, and the Mets have decided to give him a few days of rest before throwing any more. Matz described it as “irritation.”
“I was able to get my tossing in, but for me to get on the mound and throw a bullpen and tell [them] I’m ready for a game would be unrealistic in my mind,” the southpaw said.
There is no structural damage in Matz’s shoulder, Collins said, just an impingement in his left rotator cuff. He has been pitching with a large bone spur in his left elbow since June that will require surgery following the season, but the Mets don’t believe it is connected to his shoulder, based on data they’ve received from their TrackMan program that analyzes a pitcher’s mechanics.
Yet, when asked if he is worried about losing Matz for the rest of the way, Collins said: “Yes. I am.”
“He’s too valuable down the road to continue to push it,” the manager added.
Jacob deGrom, who the Mets skipped Monday after back-toback poor starts, will move up a day and take Matz’s turn in the rotation, and rookie Robert Gsellman will take his spot for the time being.
Matz is still confident he will pitch again this year.
“I believe so,” he said. “I think it’s a day-to-day thing. The doctor thinks I will pitch again [this season].”
The plan is for Matz to throw this weekend, and rejoin the rotation next week, if the discomfort in his shoulder goes away. He could need a rehab start, considering his last outing was Aug. 14, when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Padres.