Pirates second baseman Neil Walker missed more than two weeks' worth of games from late August to mid-September with what was described as lower back tightness.
Neil Walker has herniated disc, shut down for year
The Pirates’ second baseman has decided to shut things down for the season with a back injury.
Justin K. Aller - Getty Images
He returned to action on September 14, and went 6-for-27 (.269) in eight games; he hasn’t played since September 24.
Now, with the Pirates’ 2012 collapse complete, it’s been revealed Walker’s problems were more than just tightness:
Walker decides to shut it down for season; updated diagnosis: herniated disc.
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) September 28, 2012
Walker finishes his season with pretty good numbers, especially so if he had been battling these back troubles for much of the year: .280/.342/.426 with 14 home runs and 69 RBI in 129 games. Walker had been durable in 2011, playing in 159 games; the Pirates clearly missed his bat while he was out, as they went 4-11 and fell out of the NL wild-card race during that time frame.
For more on the Pirates, please visit Bucs Dugout and SB Nation Pittsburgh.
See More:
