NEW YORK -- Mets second baseman Neil Walker will miss the rest of the season because of surgery for a herniated disk in his back, the latest in a series of severe injuries to strike the defending NL champions this year.Walker made the announcement Thursday before the wild-card contenders played Miami.It just wasnt getting better, he said.Had he continued to play, he estimated he wouldve been at 60 percent. Or, as New York manager Terry Collins said Walker told him Wednesday night, Not sure I can help.Minus Walker, the Mets will use Wilmer Flores and Kelly Johnson at second base. A recent push moved the Mets within 1 1/2 games of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot.Walker has been a steady presence in his first season with the Mets, tying a career high with 23 home runs while batting .282 with 55 RBI. Collins often has praised Walker for his production on the field and his leadership qualities in the clubhouse.Walk gave it his best effort, Collins said, later adding, Neils played absolutely great.The switch-hitter, who turns 31 this month, said the success rate for his type of surgery is very high and that the recovery period is three months. He said he expects to be able to continue his career at a fine level after the procedure.No date has yet been set for the surgery.Traded over from Pittsburgh in the offseason, Walker proved to be more than a capable replacement for playoff star Daniel Murphy, who became a free agent and has produced MVP-caliber numbers for NL East-leading Washington.Walker joined third baseman David Wright, first baseman Lucas Duda, ace Matt Harvey and other Mets to be struck by significant injuries this year. Slugger Yoenis Cespedes, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and several of the clubs young pitchers also have missed time.Though the Mets have adjusted to a shifting roster, Walkers absence leaves a big piece missing, Collins said.Walker had been trying to rest his ailing back lately, playing a few games and then taking time off. He had played just four times in the last two weeks, which included a brief stay on the paternity list.Even so, Walker said doctors told him his condition wasnt improving that way.Walker said he felt OK to swing, but that it was the other things -- diving for balls, sliding, trying to break up double plays -- that had become extremely difficult. He said the back problem has left him unable to have feeling in his toe.No one thing caused him the trouble, he said. Instead, the cause was the culmination of the wear and tear of baseball.Ive played through this for four years, he said.Walker is eligible for free agency after this season ends. He said that aspect of his future didnt enter into his decision, saying it was the farthest thing from my mind.Said Collins: I sure hope we get the opportunity to get him back. Nike Air Max Selber Gestalten Schweiz . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Air Max Kaufen Schweiz . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. http://www.airmaxschweizonline.ch/ . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Air Max Billig Kaufen . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Air Max Günstig . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Minnesota Wild lead the NHL scoring. Not that they needed many goals to win the past two games.Devan Dubnyk made 38 saves for his second straight shutout and the Wild beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 on Thursday night.Hes carrying us right now, so well ride that wave, defenseman Matt Dumba said.Dubnyk made 27 saves Tuesday night in a 5-0 victory in Boston. He has 12 of his 21 career shutouts since joining the Wild in a trade with Arizona on Jan. 15, 2015, the most in the NHL during that span. Dubnyks debut for the Wild was a 7-0 victory in Buffalo.Unfortunately, we only play here once a year, Dubnyk said. This is a special place for me. It all began here with these guys, so there will always be good memories.Ryan Suter had a goal and an assist, and Joel Ericsson Ek, Jason Zucker and Mikko Koivu also scored. The Wild went 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip to improve to 5-2-1.The Wild have scored 31 goals in eight games and every player has recorded a point.Thats how we have to win, said Suter, who leads the Wild with eight points. We dont have the superstars. We need everybody on the team participating and so far weve been able to do that.Anders Nillson made 18 saves in his second straight start for the Sabres. They have lost four in a row.The Sabres started strong but did not finish Tuesday night in Philadelphia, surrendering three third period goals in a 4-3 shootout loss. On Thursday night, they started slow and never recovered.I felt like we were squeezing our sticks a little bit, grinding the sawdust a little bit, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. We were just a little nervous with the puck. I dont know if thats from the Philly game, but thats what it felt like in the first.Minnesota built a two-goal lead in the first period, but Buffalo controlled the action in the second. Dubnyk made 19 saves, including 15 in the first 6:11 of the period, and the Wild killed twoo penalties.ddddddddddddI thought we had some great chances in that second period, Sabres center Ryan OReilly said. If we wouldve got one, it would have changed the whole feel of the game. It would have tightened them up a bit.Suter scored his third goal of the season 2:58 into the third period, sending a wobbly wrist shot from the right circle over Nillsons glove.They get the third one and its tough to fight back from that, OReilly said.Koivu added an empty-net goal with 1:09 left.Eriksson Ek scored at 4:51 of the first period when he played the puck off the right boards to elude defenseman Jake McCabe and snapped a shot over Nillsons left shoulder into the far corner of the net. The 19-year-old rookie has two goals and three assists in his first four games.Zucker scored for the second straight game to make it 2-0 with 4:47 left in the first period. Taking a pass from Chris Stewart at the blue line, Zucker skated between two defenders into a breakaway and slipped a backhand beneath Nillsons left pad.Game notes Minnesota D Marco Scandella went to the locker room during the first period after getting his right leg tangled up in a scrum in front of the net. ... Wild D Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and F Erik Haula are both close to returning, coach Bruce Boudreau said. Spurgeon skated Thursday morning, while Haula did not. ... Sabres F Evander Kane (cracked ribs) missed his fifth straight game and C Jack Eichel (ankle) remains out indefinitely. ... Sabres D Rasmus Ristolainen played in his 200th NHL game on his 22nd birthday. He is the fourth-youngest player to appear in 200 games for the Sabres, according to Elias Sports Bureau. . Buffalos 38 shots were a season-high.UP NEXTWild: Return home to play Dallas on Saturday.Sabres: Host Florida on Saturday. ' ' '