The Mets made another series of medical updates today, with the most significant news of the bunch being that infielders David Wright and T.J. Rivera will undergo surgery. Wright will have his right rotator cuff repaired, while Rivera will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow (with which he was diagnosed in late July). Additionally, left-hander Josh Edgin will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and the Mets confirmed that Michael Conforto will undergo surgery to repair the posterior capsule in his left shoulder this week.
In more non-surgical updates, the Mets announced that Noah Syndergaard will make another rehab appearance on Thursday, while Wilmer Flores has sustained a broken nose and Amed Rosario has a contusion on his right index finger.
For Wright, the shoulder procedure in the latest of a seemingly ceaseless cavalcade of setbacks as he attempts to get back onto the field. The Mets’ captain hasn’t appeared in a big league game since May 1 of last season, and he has already undergone surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck over what is now shaping up to be a potential two-year layoff from Major League activity. Despite his considerable health issues, Wright is reportedly not considering retirement (as the Post’s Mike Puma wrote last week).
As for Rivera, it’s critical to note that the recovery process for position players that undergo Tommy John surgery is significantly shorter than it is for pitchers. Rather than the standard recovery of 12-plus months for pitchers, Rivera could conceivably be ready for action at some point early in the 2018 campaign. The Mets, however, have yet to provide any sort of timeline and likely won’t do so until the operation has been performed.
That holds true of Conforto as well, though there’s been no shortage of ink dedicated to the ominous nature of his injury. Capsule tears are significant and uncommon injuries, creating the possibility that Conforto will be sidelined for a notable chunk of the 2018 campaign.
As far as Edgin is concerned, the knee issue could mark the end of his tenure with the organization. The 30-year-old had already been outrighted off the 40-man roster, and this injury means that the Mets won’t select his contract and bring him back to the Majors. Edgin has enough service time to elect free agency following the campaign if not on the 40-man, and while he could always re-sign to return to the organization, he’ll now be able to field interest from all 29 other clubs as well.
Holy irony T.J Rivera..
I thought the same thing
Yup. First Lou Gehrig is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig Disease and now TJ Rivera needs TJ surgery.
What are the odds of that
Wright just needs to hang it up. Yeesh
I agree. I know wright is trying. but his body just won’t cooperate. whatever he decides next his third base days are about over.
Isn’t he still owed about $45 mil? Doubt he retires early and leaves that on the table.
Yep exactly that’s only reason he’s still trying!
Curse of Cpmunk thanks a lot AA
The Mets DL has a better team than the healthy guys
I know you don’t want to hang them up and you have millions left on your contract but your body is telling you something.
Can’t he just say he is unable to play anymore, but continue to pick up salary because he has been forced to retire through injury like prince fielder done
Good point
He can but he chooses not to. Can you blame him? All he has ever done in his life is play baseball and he probably wants to go out on his own terms, rather than be forced into retirement at the age of 34.
Lol ya he’s gonna go out when 45 million is up!
As long as he’s under contract why not keep trying, I guess.
“Can’t he just say he is unable to play anymore, but continue to pick up salary because he has been forced to retire through injury like prince fielder done”
Yes, but he wants to keep trying to play. His injuries would easily justify retirement at full play. The difference between him and Fielder is that the doctors told Fielder he CAN’T play because he risks serious damage to his neck/spinal cord; Wright’s injuries can prevent him from playing baseball, but as of now there is no serious risk to his long-term health by continuing to try to play.
As long as he wants to continue receiving a paycheck, he’ll keep trying. No one is foolish enough to walk away from all that money, and the Mets are covered 75% of the amount.
You do realize that if Wright never plays another game—which is highly likely, even before this news—he gets every dime he signed for? He WANTS to keep playing, and while his physical condition warrants retirement (he would get zero argument from the Mets, MLB, team doctors, or the insurance company based on his spinal stenosis alone) he’s not at the point where trying to rehab and play is detrimental to his future health, a la Prince Fielder who was told continuing to play could drastically harm him.
David Wright wants to play baseball again. It has nothing to do with money, as he’ll get all of it anyway.
Sadly for Wright think this is the end” Guy is Done so much for N.Y think is to hang em up!
The Mets announced today that they are conducting a “thorough and exhausting search” to find somebody on the 40 man roster who is completely healthy. They promised further updates as the investigation proceeds and noted “we are extremely hopeful of finding one, maybe even two guys who are healthy.”
Edgin. Leave.
Does someone have a mets voo doo doll and making all of these injurys come to life
I think the Mets voodoo doll is wedged in the duallies of a truck rolling through Oklahoma right now
In a way, similar to Josh Hamilton. Great talented player slows too early due to injuries(Hamilton may have self-inflicted some rough miles on himself as well), large contract doesn’t end early enough and looms overhead. Player makes many attempts to come back even with money already guaranteed. I really feel for these guys when they’re forced to hang em up, because you can tell that they really love the game. Of course, Hamilton in retirement is a totally different fight than Wright, who, again from a distance, seems to have it all in line mentally.
Entire mets roster to go on dl. Will recall aaa team, they just take a playbook right out of the Marlins.
Just a bump in the road to recovery for Wright. As long as he spends all of ’18 in a hyperbaric chamber, we can expect to see him sporadically on the field in ’19.
What are the odds of D Wright ever playing again? He reminds me of that Indians OF who was good for a couple of years and then injured for the rest of his career. (Name escaping me)
Sizemore
David Wright…the Grant Hill of MLB.
The Captain has heart. The love for the game and team keeps him motivated ( the $47 mil doesn’t hurt either!) I say let him get his money, insurance picks up 75% and the Wilpon’s deserve to pay the rest. How many of us would walk away from our career if you had a contract like that, loved your job and had a boss like the penny pinching Wilpon’s. Also why do a favor for any insurance company all they do is take your money and when it’s time for them to pay up they won’t without a fight..