Taijuan Walker
Taijuan Walker was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States on August 13th, 1992 and is the Baseball Player. At the age of 31, Taijuan Walker biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 31 years old, Taijuan Walker has this physical status:
Amateur career
Walker's first passion was basketball until he began playing baseball at the age of 11. Walker attended Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, California, where he served as both a pitcher and shortstop as well as a two-sport athlete. Walker, a third baseman with Matt Davidson in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, was teammates with him at Yucaipa. Yucaipa is also the alma mater of former major leaguers Corky Miller and Mark Teahen.
Professional career
With the 43rd overall pick of the 2010 MLB draft, the Seattle Mariners selected Walker in the first round. Walker and the Mariners have reached an agreement that includes a $800,000 signing bonus. He made four appearances for the Rookie League AZL Mariners, three of whom were in relief, and went 1–1 with a 1.29 earned run average (ERA). According to Baseball America, Walker was ranked fourth in the Mariners' top ten prospects for the 2011 season, ranked fourth. He was ranked second highest prospect in the Mariners organization and the 20th best overall before the 2012 season. Walker was selected to compete in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.
With 64 strikeouts in 57+13 innings pitched for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, Walker set the Mariners up on August 30, 2013. Walker started 5 innings against the Houston Astros and only took 2 hits and struck out 2. When rosters were expanded in September 2013, Walker was called up. He played in three games and ended the season with a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings. In a 1–0 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 24, 2014, Walker pitched his first MLB complete game, allowing one run in a 1–0 loss.
Walker debuted with the Mariners as a member of the starting lineup in 2015. In his first start, Walker at Oakland, gave up nine runs in 3+13 innings. He closed out by giving up 5 runs in 4 innings against the Dodgers, prompting some to question whether or not Walker was ready for the big leagues. Walker continued to fail, pitching more than 6 innings in his first nine starts. However, Walker won five straight starts in June and July, boosting his record from 2-6 to 7-6. Walker struggled after winning five straight, going 0-1 with an 8.02 ERA, but at Target Field on July 31, he threw a complete game one-hitter (his only hit was a home run by Miguel Sano) against the Minnesota Twins. This time, his defense backed him up as he went 6-1, striking out 11 out of 100 pitches to do so. Despite posting a 4.56 ERA in 29 starts, Walker finished the 2015 season with an 11-8 record.
Walker suffered with a foot injury in the first half of the 2016 season. On two occasions, he was on the 15-day disabled list. He began on the disabled list in the second half of the season. Despite a 3.66 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 86 innings, Walker had a 4-7 record before the all-star break. On August 8, 2016, Walker was promoted to AAA. In an 8-0 Mariners victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on September 13, 2016, Walker scored his first complete game shutout in his career. He played a flawless game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh, leaving the game with no walks and three hits while striking out eleven batters.
The Mariners traded Walker and Ketel Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis on November 23, 2016. Walker's first season in Arizona, he made 28 starts, pitching to a 9-9 record in 157 innings.
Walker was on the 10-day disabled list on April 15, 2018 due to right forearm tightness. Walker was diagnosed with a UCL tear in his right elbow just two days later, on April 17. Walker had a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow on April 18, according to reports. Tommy John surgery was required, bringing Walker's 2018 season to a premature conclusion.
He appeared in one game for the Diamondbacks, the final game of the 2019 season, after Tommy John surgery. Walker was untendered by Arizona on December 2, 2019 and became a free agent.
Walker was out for 20 scouts from Major League clubs on February 4, 2020.
Walker signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners on February 12, 2020.
The Mariners traded Walker to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player who will be confirmed later or cash considerations on August 27, 2020. Alberto Rodrez of Toronto was sent by Seattle to complete the transaction on September 1, 2020. He made his Blue Jays debut against the Baltimore Orioles on August 29, 2020, throwing six scoreless innings and giving four hits on his debut. Walker was in 6 games for the 2020 Toronto Blue Jays, compiling a 2-1 record with 1.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 26+13 innings pitched, a record.
Walker agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with the New York Mets in 2021 with a player option for the 2023 season.
He was selected to the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first professional nomination, and replacing teammate Jacob deGrom. However, Walker's career plummeted after the All-Star break; he had a 7.33 ERA in the first half and was 0-8 with a 7.13 ERA in the back half, and he posted a 7-3 record. He ended the 2021 season with a 7-11 record and a 4.47 ERA in 159 innings.
Walker, who suffered right-handed, started batting left-handed in August 2021. He does so right-handed as a bunter, but he does so right-handed.