Taijuan Walker left Tuesday's start with back spasms, just 24 hours after Carlos Carrasco exited with a low grade oblique strain.
With the Mets' starting pitching, and their lead in the NL East, thinning, Sal couldn't help but wonder why Walker didn't at least try to push through the discomfort to help out a pitching staff that was beleaguered after covering for Carrasco's early exit the night before.
"If you're hurt, I get it, I don't want to make it, 'Oh, you're hurt, get out there, you gotta play on a broken leg,'" Sal said. "But Taijuan Walker was needed desperately yesterday by his team.
"If he's not seriously hurt - and look, back spasms? Suck it up, get some kind of shot, there's gotta be some kind of resolution. Or at least I want to see him say 'You know what, let me see if I can take the mound in the third inning, tough it out and get through it.'"
Sal understood the Carrasco exit, as he will miss the next 3-4 weeks, but not as much Walker's even if the Mets hypothetically don't need their pitching staff as much at full strength for the rest of the series with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom lined up.
"I get you want to be precautionary and all this stuff, but I have a hard time thinking you're coming out of a game against the Braves after Carrasco left with a legitimate injury the night before and went two innings," Sal said. "You're needed!
"You think David Cone or John Smoltz are coming out of that game? I hate to go back here but, probably not. Those guys are gonna pitch through that stuff."
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