Taijuan Walker Had Knee Surgery, Opening Day Status TBD

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Buck Showalter revealed Monday that Taijuan Walker had knee surgery in mid-January. The Mets intend to hold him back, and it is unclear whether he will be ready for the Opening Day roster.

Walker, 29, is entering the second year of his 3-year, $23 million contract. He has a player option after the 2022 season.

The pitcher made his first All-Star Game in 2021, as he had a 2.66 ERA in the first half.

While the second half of the season was not as kind to Walker, he finished the season with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.182 WHIP.

The Mets recently boosted their starting rotation by trading for Chris Bassitt and have many other pieces available if Walker is forced to miss games. The current five in the rotation, in no particular order, are; Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, and Taijuan Walker.

Major-league-ready pitchers include; Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Trevor Williams, and Jordan Yamamoto.