New York Mets: What To Expect When (If) David Wright Returns
After injuring his shoulder in Spring Training, New York Mets third baseman David Wright was back on the field Friday fielding ground balls and partaking in light tosses.
While David Wright is rehabbing the shoulder impingement he suffered in March, he played catch and took batting practice on Wednesday as he returned to his rehab program. What does this mean for the New York Mets, who seem to always be battling the injury bug?
Per sny.com, Terry Collins spoke on Wright, and when the team can possibly expect him back:
"“If David Wright could throw the ball across the infield, he could play today. Except, we’ve got to get him some at-bats, which he hasn’t had, but he’s taking batting practice today. His hands are still very good. I mean, this guy doesn’t miss anything. It’s about getting that arm back and how long that’s going to take no one knows.”"
In the later stages of David Wright’s career, they have been injury plagued with just about everything. From spinal stenosis, to a bad shoulder, to getting plunked in the head by a Matt Cain fastball, Wright has not caught any breaks the last few years.
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Over the last two season, Wright has played in a combined 75 regular season games. Through those games, he has had 289 at-bats, resulting in 75 hits and a .260 batting average. Wright was once a .300 hitter with a 30/30 season. Injuries has essentially told us that those numbers will never be reached again. The main problem from Wright and the Mets are the constant injuries. While it isn’t only Wright, he seems to be the embodiment of injuries that have plagued New York the last few seasons.
Since Tuesday, New York has lost Yoenis Cespedes, Lucas Duda, Wilmer Flores and Travis d’Arnaud, all to injury. Jacob deGrom was pushed back a day because of a stiff neck. How does this all work in with David Wright? It’s more of the same, especially when you are running out of bodies. In what seemed to be an injury that had many people saying “let him get healthy and come back,” because New York finally had depth this season has gone away. While it is still only April, the Mets are 8-10 (their worst start since starting 2011 at 5-13).
Putting the focus back on Wright, if and when he does come back, what should you expect from him? His power numbers have drastically declined, as well as his RBI numbers. Even more alarming is his batting average, which always seemed to be either above .300, or close to it. Batting .226 in 2016, .289 in 2015 and .269 in 2014, Wright hasn’t posted an average above .300 since 2013.
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It’s still early, and players will eventually come back from injuries. That being said. the magnifying glass gets a little closer when a team who was expected to compete for a World Series is sleepwalking through a first month against nothing but divisional teams. It gets even closer when the captain of a team hasn’t been able to consistently get on a field in three years. Add that in with injuries to other key players and your replacement hitting .095 through 63 at-bats and you have a very bad recipe for success.