I was having some recent conversations about Taijuan Walker’s place on this rotation when everyone else is healthy. “Could he be the odd man out when deGrom comes back?” “Has he earned a spot in the rotation for what he’s done so far?” “Can he be counted on to stay healthy and to give quality innings?”<\/p>\n
I’m not sure he answered any of those questions with his outing today, because it’s a long season. But what Walker showed everyone today is how much of a warrior he is. He threw seven shutout innings against the Nationals today, and while the Nationals aren’t the greatest team known to mankind, they can hit (tied for the N.L. lead in batting average with the Rockies and your New York Mets). Walker shut them down on three hits and one walk and one (!) strikeout. But it wasn’t so much that he did that, but that he did that while dealing with this between every inning:<\/p>\n
\nIs there a rule that says you can't pitch with a heating pad? Asking for a friend. pic.twitter.com\/O8axehKZd4<\/a><\/p>\n
— Meditations in Panic City (@MedInPanicCity) May 12, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n