Dein erstes Forum » Kieron Pollard.The move paid off

NEW YORK -- Mets second baseman Neil Walker will miss the rest of the season because of surgery for a herniated disk in his back, the latest in a series of severe injuries to strike the defending NL champions this year.Walker made the announcement Thursday before the wild-card contenders played Miami.It just wasnt getting better, he said.Had he continued to play, he estimated he wouldve been at 60 percent. Or, as New York manager Terry Collins said Walker told him Wednesday night, Not sure I can help.Minus Walker, the Mets will use Wilmer Flores and Kelly Johnson at second base. A recent push moved the Mets within 1 1/2 games of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot.Walker has been a steady presence in his first season with the Mets, tying a career high with 23 home runs while batting .282 with 55 RBI. Collins often has praised Walker for his production on the field and his leadership qualities in the clubhouse.Walk gave it his best effort, Collins said, later adding, Neils played absolutely great.The switch-hitter, who turns 31 this month, said the success rate for his type of surgery is very high and that the recovery period is three months. He said he expects to be able to continue his career at a fine level after the procedure.No date has yet been set for the surgery.Traded over from Pittsburgh in the offseason, Walker proved to be more than a capable replacement for playoff star Daniel Murphy, who became a free agent and has produced MVP-caliber numbers for NL East-leading Washington.Walker joined third baseman David Wright, first baseman Lucas Duda, ace Matt Harvey and other Mets to be struck by significant injuries this year. Slugger Yoenis Cespedes, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and several of the clubs young pitchers also have missed time.Though the Mets have adjusted to a shifting roster, Walkers absence leaves a big piece missing, Collins said.Walker had been trying to rest his ailing back lately, playing a few games and then taking time off. He had played just four times in the last two weeks, which included a brief stay on the paternity list.Even so, Walker said doctors told him his condition wasnt improving that way.Walker said he felt OK to swing, but that it was the other things -- diving for balls, sliding, trying to break up double plays -- that had become extremely difficult. He said the back problem has left him unable to have feeling in his toe.No one thing caused him the trouble, he said. Instead, the cause was the culmination of the wear and tear of baseball.Ive played through this for four years, he said.Walker is eligible for free agency after this season ends. He said that aspect of his future didnt enter into his decision, saying it was the farthest thing from my mind.Said Collins: I sure hope we get the opportunity to get him back.Hyun-jin Ryu Dodgers Jersey . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Jedd Gyorko Dodgers Jersey . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Hyun-jin Ryu Jersey .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Cheap Dodgers Jerseys .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night.Jos Buttler smashed 41 off 22 balls to truly announce his arrival at the IPL, helping see Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, chasing 188. Buttler - who hit a two-ball duck in a debut defeat for Mumbai on Saturday - struck three fours and three sixes in his knock, sharing in a 66-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, the skipper supremely impressive himself with an unbeaten 84 from 54 balls.His opposite number, Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir, earlier cracked 62 from 52 deliveries - although was dropped twice - while putting on a hundred partnership with Manish Pandey (52 off 29 balls), who also notched fifty.A trademark big-hitting cameo from Andre Russell (36 off 17) featuring four sixes, helped fire the Knight Riders up to a score of 187-5, put it proved not to be enough as Buttler helped blast Mumbai to victory.Inside the IPL: Jos Buttler announced himself to the IPL with 41 from 22 balls. Put into bat first, for once Kolkatas experienced opening pair of Gambhir and Robin Uthappa didnt fire, with the latter dismissed for eight by the impressive Mitchell McClenaghan (2-25) in the fourth over.A fairly sedate start by the Knight Riders - at 45-1 in the seventh over - suddenly then sparked into life as Pandey hit Hardik Pandya for the first six of the innings over long-on.Two more maximums followed from Pandeys bat, while Gaambhir struck one, although he was fortunate to be at the crease, having been dropped on 30 by Sharma at midwicket off Jagadeesha Suchith, and then again on 55 by Jasprit Bumrah, a simple chance off his own bowling.ddddddddddddThe Kolkata skipper made Mumbai pay, with his fifty coming off 39 deliveries, and his partner Pandeys even quicker at 26 balls - though he fell soon after, caught and bowled by Harbhajan Singh (1-31).In came Russell, who smashed three sixes in his first eight balls, including two in the same Tim Southee over.He managed one more maximum before dragging McClenaghan onto his stumps in the 18th over, Mumbai fighting back well at the end of the innings - Gambhir finally dismissed, caught by wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, and Colin Munro run out for four.Sharma signalled Mumbais intent third ball by smashing Russell for six over deep square leg, as he and Patel (23 off 20) went about putting fifty on for the first wicket inside the first five overs, before the latter was run out by Brad Hogg in the sixth.After Pandya wasted 10 balls for just nine runs at three, McClenaghan (20) was sent in up the order as a pinch-hitter, ahead of Buttler and Kieron Pollard.The move paid off as the New Zealander slogged three sixes in his eight-ball knock, punishing Piyush Chawla for back-to-back sixes in the 11th over, before falling to Kuldeep Yadav soon after.Sharma serenely went through to fifty off 38 balls while Buttler got going at the other end - hitting three sixes and two fours off five consecutive deliveries across the 15th and 16th overs to swing the game in Mumbais favour.Buttler couldnt see it through to the finish, falling in the penultimate over, but Sharma smacked Russells next three balls for boundaries, and Pollard nudged the single needed from the final over to win it for Mumbai.Watch continued coverage of the IPL on Sky Sports, with the next live action seeing the two new franchises, Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants face off from 3pm on Sky Sports 2 on Thursday. 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