Taijuan Walker exited early due to left side tightness on Monday night, as he was removed after working three dominant innings to start the Mets' 3-1 win over the Braves at Truist Park.

“I was able to get though my start last week with it," Walker said. "But today [it was] just grabbing a little bit and I couldn't throw my best stuff up there, so there's really no point of keep going and making it worse."

Walker explained postgame that the tightness has been an issue he has dealt with over the last couple of weeks. In an effort to combat the tightness, Walker will undergo an MRI on Tuesday so that the Mets can determine the root of the problem. Walker is not overly concerned about the issue.

“I think it can be managed," Walker said. "I’m not too concerned with it. It's just one of those nagging injuries that just hasn't gone away yet."

It became evident that something was bothering Walker after he struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. in the third inning. After a quick meeting with Mets manager Luis Rojas between innings, Walker was replaced by Sean Reid-Foley at the start of the fourth.

Walker held the Braves scoreless, allowing one hit and tallying two strikeouts. The one hit Walker allowed came against Braves starter Max Fried.

With all the injuries plaguing the Mets and their rotation, Rojas is likely operating with caution to protect the 28-year-old hurler. Walker is one of the most important arms in the Mets' rotation, with a 3-1 record and a 2.05 ERA through eight starts.