The New York Mets can't catch a break. Shortly after losing Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker had to leave the mound earlier than expected with back spams.
Losing him after just two innings was a massive blow in a must-win game against a direct rival. They had to go to their bullpen early, and it didn't take long before the Atlanta Braves jumped to a big lead.
Someone Needs To Step Up
Walker was in control before leaving the game early. He knows the Mets are slightly undermanned right now, so someone will have to pick up the slack while he's not out there:
“I knew my job was to go as deep as possible and try to give the bullpen a break,” Walker said. “I felt like my stuff was good and felt like I would go six-plus innings and it sucks and the timing couldn’t be worse for something like this. A couple of guys just got called up and had to go out and wear it and it’s tough … hopefully we regroup [Wednesday] and kind of ‘next man up’ mentality right now.”Charlie Morton Gave Them Hell
The Mets had given Charlie Morton plenty of trouble the last time they met him. This time, however, he was nearly unhittable:
"He had every pitch," Manager Buck Showalter said. "We had to defend every pitch. Very seldom do you see that with that many pitches — curveball, changeup, cutter. He had a little better fastball than he had been carrying. He was also working on six days' rest, so we knew he was going to be firm tonight."
Showalter Isn't Overly Confident
The Mets will now give the ball to their two superstars, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. However, Showalter knows they'll go against some outstanding rival pitchers, so he'll be wary of getting too confident:
“I never assume anything and they are going to be facing two good pitchers on the other side,” Showalter said. “We are going to have to figure out a way to push some runs across … there is no given.”Who'll Step Up?
So, with Carlos Carrasco also dealing with an injury, the Mets will likely lean towards David Robertson and Trevor Williams for the weekend's series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.
They still have one of the strongest rotations on Earth, but we've seen how injuries can derail an otherwise promising season in the blink of an eye. Hopefully, Walker's injury won't be as bad, and he'll be back out there in no time.
]]>The Inquisitr
