WRIGHT TO LET HIM DECIDE
Oft-injured Met should not be pushed out
PORT ST. LUCIE — David Wright said Thursday he will be back, but after suffering a setback with his shoulder, even the Mets third baseman can’t say when. The captain admitted it was naive to think he could return from major neck surgery without some “speed bumps,” but even with this challenge, he made it clear he’s not considering retiring.
“I still enjoy what I do. It’s not like I dread coming to the ballpark,” Wright said when asked if he ever reached the point of considering retirement. “I have a lot of fun coming to the ballpark. It stinks to have to rehab and have a couple of major injuries the last couple of years.
“At the end of the day I love taking the field and if I can do this rehab in time to get back on the field, do what I love doing, it’s all worth it in my mind.”
And that is only Wright’s decision to make.
The face of this franchise through the embarrassingly bad years, it has been almost cruel that Wright has had to struggle to get back on the field now that the Mets have turned this around. There is not one person in the Mets organization — or in baseball — who would try to push Wright out to pasture prematurely.
There is no reason to. The Mets have no big prospect at third base that Wright is blocking nor is there any major third base free agent out there he is stopping the Mets from signing.
But that doesn’t mean the Mets can be naive. They can be hopeful and encouraging, but they need to be prepared.
“As you know, he’s a grinder. Always has been, always will be. He’s going to do what he’s gotta do to get back,” Terry Collins said. “I told him, I said ‘Look, if you told me I’d have a healthy David Wright starting May 1 for five months, I’ll take it.’”
With a 34-year-old who has played just 75 regular-season games over the last two years because of major issues with his spine and neck, that seems like a lot to ask.
Thursday, Jose Reyes was back at third base. Signing the former shortstop to step in for Wright last season bought the Mets some time. They need to start making plans for how to get through the next four years with the reality that Wright is going to be limited.
Right now, however, Wright is unsure if May 1 is even a realistic goal. There is no timeline for his return to baseball activities.
“I am not putting any time limits on anything, it’s worthless at this point, because you just don’t know. When the arm gets strong enough to throw, I’ll throw,” Wright said. “It’s worthless for me and worthless for the team to try and go through it and go through what I went through earlier in spring.”
And the Mets aren’t even sure what type of player Wright will be when he works his way back.
He missed 115 games in 2015 after being diagnosed with the spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that causes him discomfort. It is also the condition that led to Don Mattingly’s premature retirement. There is no cure, just treatment.
Mattingly was one of the guys wishing Wright well on Thursday after the Mets beat the Marlins 11-6 at First Data Field. The former Yankee and current Marlins skipper said medicine has advanced so much since he dealt with similar issues that Wright should have a good chance to make A it back. nd it’s clear to Wright that this is not going to be easy.
“I guess you’d be a little naive that everything was going to be smooth sailing after a major neck surgery,” Wright said. “It’s just...a little bump in the road. I’ll give everything I have to the rehab and hopefully be out there helping my teammates as soon as possible.”
It’s Ok for Wright to be naive and optimistic about his rehab and recovery, but the Mets can no longer afford to be.