Amazin’s want Wright back at third base

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Mets are cautiously optimistic a familiar face will have third base covered in some capacity in 2017.

David Wright, who missed most of last season following surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck, will enter spring training as the team’s starting third baseman, according to general manager Sandy Alderson.

The seven-time All-Star has spent much of the offseason in Southern California, undergoing physical therapy and doing exercises to strengthen his lower back, and though he is expected to resume baseball activities this month, questions linger about his long-term physical condition as he deals with spinal stenosis.

“We have to be careful not to be too thin at that position going into spring, but [Wright playing] is our mindset right now,” Alderson said Monday at the winter meetings.

If Wright’s comeback materializes, Jose Reyes could become a jack of all trades for the Mets.

The popular veteran already has flashed his ability to play third base, shortstop and second base, but Alderson is ready to add outfield — particularly center field — to the list of Reyes’ potential positions.

“I think we may run him out there,” Alderson said.

Reyes’ outfield exposure may hinge largely on Wright’s availability to play third base. Reyes, Wilmer Flores and T.J. Rivera are other candidates to play third base, and the expectation is Wright will need to share the position with other players.

“I think [Wright] is realistic about what he wants to do and how he can keep himself in shape, and then the question is how that translates into performance and his ability to stay on the field,” Alderson said.

Reyes, who had spent most of his career at shortstop, became the full-time third baseman after joining the Mets last July. The Mets also had discussions about using Reyes in the outfield last year but decided against the experiment.

“We didn’t want to do it last year because we didn’t want to have him working in multiple new positions,” Alderson said. “But going into spring training, I don’t see why not. I think it’s something we’re going to try to do throughout the organization is put guys in different roles so that once they get to the big league level, they are at least familiar with, if not conditioned, to playing more than one position.”