David Wright’s Recovery Continues to Have A Back Story
The Mets received some positive news on captain David Wright, though there will continue to be an underlying issue that will remain in the conversation.
Wright has been recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He has not played since May 21.
Baseball insider Jon Herman tweeted: “word after his exam in LA is david wright is healing properly. hope and belief is he can be on field working out in spring”
While news the about Wright’s path to recovery for the neck is a step forward for the 33-year-old, the bigger issue is his spinal stenosis.
Wright was diagnosed with the chronic condition in 2015. Following a hamstring injury it was discovered and landed him on the 60-day DL. He concluded the season having played in only 38 games. This season he only participated in 37. If you combined the total games during the past two seasons it doesn’t equal half of 162 game season.
Following his return, Wright required an extensive training routine to get his body prepared for a game.
Physical conditioning amounts to hours of additional work. As a result Wright batted a career low .226 with 14 RBI. He had 7 home runs.
As part of his current recovery, Wright was unable to be with the team in the dugout. The fear that any sudden move could jolt Wright’s neck could lead to reinjury. The precaution has forced Wright to be further away from the game than he would prefer.
Wright will be 34 next season and expects to be an everyday third baseman. His regimen will continue to increase. Though one has to applaud his effort the reality is, if Wright looks to return in 2017 the spinal stenosis will still be around.
All things considered Wright has been an instrumental part of the Mets success over the last 10 years. But a decision will have to be made if if Wright isn’t durable enough for the rigors of playing the field or look to extend his career for an American League team as a designated hitter.
Either way, Wright still has sometime to see where his rehabilitation takes him. For now the Captain will just lead the Mets from the sidelines as a spectator with moral support.
