Mets set to lose Walker to paternity leave

PHOENIX — The hottest hitter in the Mets’ lineup could be on his way out of town.

Neil Walker’s wife, Niki, is due to give birth to the couple’s first child, a girl, on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, and the veteran second baseman is waiting on the call that will send him across the country and start a three-day paternity leave.

“I’ll pretty much have my phone on me everywhere but second base,” Walker said. “You try to bottle up those three hours any way you can. In between at-bats, I’ll shoot in [the clubhouse] just to check my phone and make sure nothing is going on.”

Walker entered Monday’s series opener against the D-backs hitting .444 with two doubles, one triple, five home runs and 13 RBIs in 18 games since July 27. He’s also scored 12 runs during that span.

“Obviously, when you are swinging the bat well, you want to continue to get as many at-bats as possible, but I certainly am not going to go blaming my newborn if I don’t stay on fire,” Walker joked. “I’ll be mentally taking at-bats.”

The secret to Walker’s success is really no secret at all. He said he’s been swinging at better pitches, using more of the field and making more contact.

“The confidence is where it’s supposed to be, and hitting …

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