New York Mets: David Wright taking swings in quest to return

Don’t look now, but New York Mets third baseman and seemingly permanent DL resident David Wright made an appearance at Citi Field.

It is not all that peculiar to see the New York Mets theoretical third baseman, David Wright, at Citi Field. He can usually be found in the dugout, wearing his jacket, cheering his teammates on from the bench. Now, the idea of seeing Wright on the field is strange, especially since he has played in just 75 games since the end of the 2014 campaign, but he is no stranger to the clubhouse.

However, that may not be the case in the not so distant future. The seemingly permanent resident of the disabled list was actually on the field, taking cuts in the batting cage on Monday. Amazingly, Wright was able to walk off the field under his own power afterwards, the zombie third baseman having risen in undeath.

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Obviously, taking swings in a cage is a long way from actually playing in a game at the major league level. However, in all seriousness, it is an impressive moment, one that gives hope that his quest to return to the diamond is not in vain. Even if Wright comes back at the end of the season, his presence would help invigorate a team and a clubhouse that has become quite moribund in the past couple of months.

When he was healthy, Wright was a dangerous hitter, an all around threat at third that appeared to be on a path to the Hall of Fame. He has posted a lifetime .296/.376/.491 batting line, hitting 242 homers and stealing 196 bases before the injuries sapped his ability. Wright was a seven time All Star, winning two Gold Glove awards and finishing in the top ten of the MVP vote four times.

The Mets cannot count on Wright to return to those levels. Those injuries have kept him out of all but three games in the Florida State League in the past two calendar years. Yet, there is always hope, the hope that Wright can overcome those injuries that ruined the end of his prime and return to be a force in the lineup.

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David Wright lives again, as the New York Mets third baseman was taking swings in the batting cage at Citi Field. Hopefully, he can continue to progress and take those swings in a major league game this year.