Philadelphia Phillies starter Taijuan Walker had a painful end to his game on Thursday night against the New York Mets.
Pitching in the top of the fourth inning with one out and a runner at first, Walker took a 99.7 mph comebacker from the bat of Mets right fielder Starling Marte, square on the toes of his left foot.
Phillies' Taijuan Walker leaves game after being hit by a rocket
He immediately winced and, after conferring with Phillies trainers and manager Rob Thomson, limped off the field. He looked to be in an incredible amount of pain as he made his way into the dugout and down the tunnel. Matt Strahm came in from the bullpen and finished the inning with a ground out and a pop out.
Taijuan Walker exits the game after getting hit by a line drive on his left foot. pic.twitter.com/Q64YKdQxha
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 16, 2024
Up until that point in the game, Walker had thrown 59 pitches (37 for strikes) and was trailing 2-0. He gave up a no doubt solo home run to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in the first inning. A single and stolen base by Marte, followed by a Brett Baty double scored the Mets' second run in the second inning.
The Phillies called it a left foot contusion for Walker during the game. We'll see if more details come out after the Phillies and Mets wrap up their final game of the home-and-home series tonight.
It was Walker's fourth start after coming off the IL at the end of April. The right-hander had a 3-0 record with a 4.82 ERA coming into action on Thursday. The Phillies' starting rotation has been one of the best in baseball this season, and another stint on the IL for Walker would be unwelcome news. Luckily, the Phillies have an ace in the hole.
Spencer Turnbull, who threw three innings in Wednesday's 10-5 win, was moved to the bullpen when Walker returned. He had filled in Walker's spot in the rotation with an incredible start to his season before the move to the relief role. He had a 2-0 record and a 1.67 ERA in six starts before being bumped from the rotation.