MILWAUKEE — Neil Walker received a visit from a chiropractor on Sunday and believes his sore back has improved enough to warrant a return to the lineup.
Even so, the Mets second baseman plans to be examined by a doctor on Monday in New York. Walker was absent from Sunday’s starting lineup after leaving the previous game with tightness in the back, incurred on a check swing.
Walker has a history of such back issues that he says are normally resolved within a few days.
Kelly Johnson made a second straight start at second base Sunday.
Michael Conforto was absent from the starting lineup with a sore left wrist, but struck out in the ninth as a pinch hitter. Conforto indicated he will get the wrist — which began bothering him last week in Pittsburgh — examined on Monday in New York.
Travis d’Arnaud should rejoin the Mets in the next seven or eight days, according to assistant general manager John Ricco. The catcher, who has been on the disabled list since April 26 with a rotator cuff strain, was behind the plate for the first time since his injury on Saturday at Single-A St. Lucie. It’s expected d’Arnaud will be moved to Double-A Binghamton or Triple-A Las Vegas before rejoining the Mets.
Asdrubal Cabrera received a day off from starting, but made a pinch-hitting appearance for the Mets in the eighth inning.
Erik Goeddel arrived from Triple-A Las Vegas to give a recently over-extended bullpen an extra arm and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Logan Verrett was optioned to clear roster space. Verrett was the losing pitcher Saturday, when he allowed three home runs, totaling four runs, over four innings in the Mets’ 7-4 loss to the Brewers.