PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Mets manager Buck Showalter saw right-hander Taijuan Walker eating breakfast in the club’s cafeteria on Saturday morning at Clover Park.

Observing Walker prompted Showalter to ask him the following question: Are you nervous? It was his first game of the spring, after all. The righty proved nerves were a nonissue, though, as he went on to pitch two shutout innings in a 4-2 victory over the Nationals. He threw 11 of his 20 pitches for strikes, then he threw 20 additional pitches in the bullpen.

“Ty was good. It was good to get that under our belt,” Showalter said.

The only hit Walker allowed occurred in the second inning as a result of a misplay. Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas hit a routine popup between shortstop Luis Guillorme and second baseman Robinson Canó, but the sun prevented them from catching the ball and it dropped in for a base hit.

“It was good to be back out there. I was excited. I was a little rushed today, [but] I got my work done,” Walker said.

Walker had spent most of the spring on the sidelines after undergoing a right knee debridement procedure in January. The knee appears to be 100 percent right now. After Saturday’s game, Walker said the right knee wasn’t on his mind while he was on the mound. He pointed out that he was able to field his position on a ball hit by Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz.

“I made a play. It wasn’t easy. We were able to check that box off. It was good,” Walker said.

If Walker continues to do well during the rest of the spring, he hopes to be the fifth starter in the rotation. Last year, Walker had a Jekyll and Hyde season. He made his first All-Star appearance after going 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 94 2/3 innings during the first half. The second half, however, was not as kind to him. Walker was hit hard. He recorded a 7.13 ERA and was winless in 13 starts.

Showalter believes Walker’s tough second half was because of his right knee problem.

“I think it had a lot to do with it. You have to give him that,” Showalter said. “He battled through it, and it was admirable. He has a chance to start this year healthy. It’s a big year for him from a team standpoint and for him, career-wise, too. It’s part of it. We have a chance to really see the best of him from a health standpoint.”

Walker, however, gave no excuses. He said his second-half slump was caused by things he did wrong on the mound.

“I gave up too many home runs. I wasn’t consistent with my fastball. It was a little bit of everything,” he said. “That was last year. I’m moving forward with that.”

The question is, can the Mets build Walker up in time for him to be ready for Opening Day on April 7 against the Nationals? Walker seems to think so, as he believes he is ready to throw five innings in his scheduled start during the regular season. From this point forward, Walker plans to pitch every fifth day.

Worth noting
Showalter wants to see the team healthy by the time Opening Day comes around. The team has been dealing with nagging injuries recently, but the good news is, Starling Marte (left oblique soreness) will play his first spring game on Sunday against the Cardinals, and Showalter is hoping catcher James McCann (lower back tightness) will play on Tuesday against the Marlins.

“It’s a spring [where] you are moving at a no-safety-net clip,” Showalter said. “We are not going through it fast, but there is no safety net if there is an injury or something. So the health is the biggest thing.”

After Saturday’s game against the Nationals, the Mets plan to have a roster meeting to figure out where the team stands with less than two weeks to go until Opening Day.