New York Mets captain and third baseman David Wright is still working his way back from various injuries, including spinal stenosis. He last played in an MLB game in May of 2016. Wright has been grinding in his minor league rehab stint over the past month.
Last week, the Mets announced that Wright will be joining the team this past weekend in San Francisco. Wright will remain on the disabled list, but will continue his rehab under team supervision.
Perfect Set-Up for a Return
Wright’s 20-day rehab assignment was scheduled to come to an end on Friday. By ending it on Friday, a day early, the Mets avoided having to place him on the major league roster or resetting his clock with a new injury. Wright was given the choice of returning to Port St. Lucie for workouts or going to San Francisco and opted for the latter. This actually works out for Wright, as his doctor is located in San Fran.
The Mets return home against the Phillies next Friday, which could serve as a potential target date for Wright’s comeback. If the organization was smart, they would have Wright return in front of the hometown crowd to a much deserved “hero’s welcome” on Friday night against the Phillies.
This May Be His Last Shot
In a recent interview with Andy Martino of SNY, Wright said he “doesn’t know” if he will retire after the 2018 season. Wright has worked his ass off over the past couple of season to get back on the diamond, suffering multiple setbacks. Will he be able to breakdown over the offseason, and then return to baseball when camp open for 2019? You can’t realistically answer yes to that question.
Lets face it, Wright is 35 years old already, and he is three years out of major league ball. I hate to admit it, but if Wright does’t return this season, he may never return again.
Love of the Game, the Team, and the Fans
David Wright flat out loves the game of baseball, the Mets, and Mets fans. Need an example of this? Just yesterday, Wright made a couple of young Mets fans day. They were hanging out by the dugout and the Captain came over and gave them his bat, batting gloves, and signed ball.
Wright has given his all to this organization, and this fanbase. The front office needs to let Wright go out on his own terms. At this point, who cares about insurance money. David Wright has stuck by this organization through all the up’s and the down’s, and given them everything he’s got.
Not only does Wright deserve this, but the fans deserve even just one more shot to thank the Captain for everything he has done for this team. There’s just about nothing left in the tank for David. For the love of God, please let David Wright go out on his own terms in 2018.
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