Walker's wife gives birth to daughter

Mets second baseman will return to club by Friday

August 24th, 2016
Neil Walker is batting .278 with 22 home runs in his first season with the Mets. (Getty)

ST. LOUIS -- Congratulations were in order Tuesday for Mets second baseman and his wife, who welcomed a baby girl, Nora Vail Walker, into the world at 3:06 a.m. ET.
Walker, who fretted for weeks about making it home to Pittsburgh in time for the birth, was present after flying home on the Mets' off-day Monday. He spent Tuesday on Major League Baseball's paternity leave list, with infielder taking his spot in the starting lineup. Walker plans to be absent Wednesday, as well.
Beyond that, the Mets do not know. Manager Terry Collins said he will speak to Walker on Wednesday morning to determine if he will miss the entire three-game series in St. Louis or just two-thirds of it. In either case, Walker will be back Friday in New York at the latest.
Though the Mets have enough middle-infield depth to cover for him with Rivera, and all healthy, they will welcome Walker's return to the lineup. He has been white-hot for most of August, batting .435 with six home runs since July 27.