David Wright

David Wright Suffers Another Setback

By Connor Byrne | May 20, 2017 at 10:05pm CDT

Mets third baseman David Wright made progress last month in his recovery from a shoulder impingement, but the latest update on the seven-time All-Star isn’t nearly as promising. The Mets have halted Wright’s throwing program, assistant general manager John Ricco said earlier this week (via Abbey Mastracco of NJ.com; h/t: MetsBlog). It’s unclear when Wright will resume throwing, but Mastracco notes that it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. For now, he’ll continue working with the Mets’ physical therapists.

This is the second time since February that the Mets have had to shut down Wright from throwing, and it’s yet another setback for a player who has barely seen the field over the past two-plus seasons. After combining to make just 75 appearances from 2015-16, a stretch in which back and neck issues sidelined him, Wright could once again be on track to miss the majority of a campaign. Notably, if the 34-year-old doesn’t return before the 60-game mark, the Mets will recoup 75 percent of his contract for as long as he’s out, per Mastracco. New York purchased an insurance policy on Wright back in 2015, thereby enabling the club to recoup a large portion of the money it owed him over his past couple injury-truncated seasons. Wright is on a $20MM salary this year and is due another $47MM over the next three seasons.

The lengthy absences of Wright and a slew of other injured Mets, including Noah Syndergaard, Yoenis Cespedes, Jeurys Familia, Steven Matz and Travis d’Arnaud, have contributed heavily to their 18-23 start. Unlike the previous two years, when the Mets earned postseason berths and several players filled in admirably for Wright, the team has gotten little from third base this season. The four-man contingent of T.J. Rivera, Wilmer Flores, Jose Reyes and Matt Reynolds entered Saturday with an unappealing .230/.292/.364 line in 345 plate appearances.

Injury Notes: Thornburg, Price, Sanchez, Wright, Turner, Mesoraco

By Jeff Todd | April 19, 2017 at 8:16pm CDT

Here’s the latest on some injury situations from around the game:

Red Sox righty Tyler Thornburg has yet to progress to the point that he’s able to take the mound, manager John Farrell said today (via Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com, on Twitter). It’s not clear whether he’s making much progress, but it seems he is still long tossing in an effort to rebuild lost shoulder strength. At present, it seems as if there’s no clear timeline for the reliever to appear in the majors for the first time with his new team.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox seem to be slowing the rehab pace of lefty David Price, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. It’s not believed to be related to any setbacks, but plans of letting Price face live hitters appear to be on hold for at least another week, per the report.
The Yankees are still taking it slow with catcher Gary Sanchez, but there are some indications of progress, as Laura Albanese of Newsday writes. Sanchez, who is dealing with a biceps strain, was able to throw and take some dry cuts. He reported no issues, but the club isn’t planning to speed up his timeline, with manager Joe Girardi suggesting the original plan of a four-week absence hasn’t changed.
In another corner of New York, the Mets are seeing some good signs from third baseman David Wright. As David Lennon of Newsday tweets. Wright was able to field balls and play catch today, though he hasn’t yet begun making throws from third base. The veteran is working back from a shoulder impingement (which was suffered as he recovered from a neck issue that arose while dealing with a serious back issue).
Trea Turner could be back at shortstop for the Nationals sooner rather than later. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets, Turner played in extended spring action and was even able to swipe a bag. That’s certainly promising news, particularly given that Turner is on the DL owing to a hamstring strain.
After catching full games on consecutive days, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco seems about ready to be activated, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. It seems the club will wait to see how Mesoraco feels before making a call, though manager Bryan Price also hinted there’s more to the evaluation. “This is kind of the point in time where we’ll re-assess what he needs for any type of finishing touches or polish before he’s activated,” Price said of the backstop, who is working back from hip and shoulder surgeries. Mesoraco has struggled at the plate in limited action thus far.

David Wright Resumes Throwing

By Jeff Todd | April 10, 2017 at 5:44pm CDT

Mets third baseman David Wright has finally been cleared to pick up a baseball and resume throwing, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter. For now, he’s just throwing softly in an effort to slowly build up arm strength.

Last we checked in, about five weeks back, Wright was forced to stop throwing with no clear timeline to resume. Instead of taking part in baseball activities, the veteran said he’d work on strengthening his impinged shoulder. Wright had been able to swing the bat all spring, but was having issues with throwing as he attempted to move towards taking the field.

Of course, the shoulder issue is only the latest in a string of health problems for the 34-year-old Wright. Previously, a neck issue arose as he was working to return from a chronic back condition. In the aggregate, there remain many obstacles for Wright to clear before he’ll be introduced at Citi Field.

It’d be hard to say the Mets weren’t aware of the possibility of an absence from Wright entering last offseason; indeed, the team built in some depth to ensure such a loss wouldn’t be crippling. At this point, anything that Wright can contribute will be something of a bonus for New York, which can currently cover third base with a mix including Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores, and T.J. Rivera.

No Timetable For David Wright To Resume Throwing

By Steve Adams | March 2, 2017 at 12:18pm CDT

Mets third baseman David Wright was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement earlier this week, and he told reporters today that a second opinion confirmed the diagnosis of an impingement and instability in his right shoulder (via Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). More troubling was the fact that Wright said there’s no time frame for his return to baseball activities. Per the New York Post’s Mike Puma (on Twitter), Wright says he is embarking on an “aggressive, time-consuming rehab” of the shoulder.

Originally, Wright was said to be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks, though today’s meeting with the media suggests a substantially lengthier absence. He can continue to hit in a batting cage as he rehabs his shoulder.

With Wright on the shelf for an indeterminate amount of time, third base duties will fall to Jose Reyes. While the former shortstop has also been taking some reps in center field to enhance his versatility during Spring Training, he figures to land the majority of the work at the hot corner, with Wilmer Flores and perhaps T.J. Rivera also serving as options. Given the uncertainties across the diamond, where first baseman Lucas Duda has received cortisone injections in both hips after being slowed by pain early this spring, each of Reyes, Flores and Rivera could be in line for larger roles than initially expected. Jay Bruce has been getting a look at first base this spring as well.

[Related: New York Mets Depth Chart]

Wright said today that he still plans to return to the field this season, and per Newsday’s Marc Carig, he made no indication that he’s considering this latest injury the beginning of the end (Twitter link). Per Carig, right called the rehab process “well worth it.”

Once one of the game’s elite players, Wright batted a combined .302/.384/.505 with 208 homers, 177 steals, seven All-Star nods, two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers from 2005-13. His consistent excellence prompted the Mets to sign Wright to an eight-year, $138MM extension, spanning the 2013-20 seasons. However, since a terrific but injury-shortened 2013 season, Wright has batted a more pedestrian .266/.339/.396 in 924 plate appearances across three seasons. He’s averaged 70 games per year over the past three campaigns and battled through a series of injuries, most notably including spinal stenosis and a herniated disk in his neck that required surgical repair last year. He’s owed a total of $67MM over the remaining four seasons on his contract.

NL East Notes: Braves, Nats Pen, Wright, Wheeler

By Jeff Todd | March 1, 2017 at 12:12pm CDT

Because they are owned by a public company, the Braves are required to disclose financial information that other organizations can keep in house. Those interested in reading up on the financial health of the Atlanta organization can check out this article from Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constution, which rounds up some info from a recent conference call involving Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei. The team lost money last year, though he says that was due in large part to its major international expenditures. Maffei also commented on reports that the Marlins might sell for $1.6B, saying that he was “not surprised” to see those numbers, while adding that he sees the Braves as a “far more valuable” franchise.

Here’s more from the NL East:

The Nationals’ failure to land a top-tier closer this winter didn’t match the hopes of skipper Dusty Baker, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Baker says he was hoping the team would bolster its 9th-inning situation, and suggested that he doesn’t expect any late-breaking move to do so. The veteran skipper continued to suggest that there’ll be a battle in camp to knight a closer. Just how Joe Blanton will fit into the mix (once his deal is made official) remains to be seen, but Baker called his addition “significant.”
Mets third baseman David Wright is headed for a second opinion on his ailing shoulder, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Whether or not that visit has any hope of substantially changing the outlook isn’t known. As of now, however, he’s slated to stop throwing for at least a few weeks. Read up on the latest on Wright here.
After a delay caused by residual elbow soreness, Mets righty Zack Wheeler finally made it to his first live BP session of the spring today, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. Wheeler is scheduled to appear in game action for the first time on March 10th, at which time the organization may finally begin to get some clarity as to how much it can expect out of him this year. As with Wright, Wheeler has faced a non-linear road back from injuries. On the positive side for the Mets, Wheeler is just 26 years of age and is earning only $800K in his first season of arbitration eligibility.

David Wright Diagnosed With Shoulder Impingement

By Jeff Todd | February 28, 2017 at 6:20pm CDT

6:20pm: A pair of Mets sources tell Kristie Ackert and Christian Red of the New York Daily News that the news on Wright’s shoulder following today’s examination is “not good.” Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters today that Wright’s shoulder woes are related to last year’s surgery to address a herniated disk in his neck and conceded that this latest setback makes Wright’s Opening Day availability “questionable.” The longtime Mets captain also had a platelet-rich plasma injection in his shoulder to reduce inflammation this spring.

Wright “is not going to be throwing for a couple of weeks” and will be focusing on exercises to strengthen his shoulder, though he can also continue to serve as a DH in spring contests. Asked about the possibility of Wright shifting across the diamond to first base, Alderson told the media: “Well, if he can’t throw, it makes every position less realistic. … [O]ur goal is to get him back to third base.”

8:27am: Mets third baseman David Wright will have to halt his throwing program after being diagnosed with a shoulder impingement, as Mike Puma of the New York Post was among those to report (Twitter links). Though it seems he’s still able to swing the bat at present, the news represents a delay in Wright’s timeline to return to the majors.

This is hardly the first roadblock that the veteran has faced, of course. He battled a serious back condition (spinal stenosis) last spring and throughout the season, only to see his comeback bid end with neck surgery. Now 34 years of age, Wright has played in just 75 games over the past two seasons.

At this point, the ability to throw the baseball seems to be the major limiting factor, as Wright has ramped up his hitting at a considerably quicker rate. For the DH-less Mets, though, there’s little function for the veteran if he’s unable to play the field, so he’ll need to build up arm strength before he can see time on the active roster.

Wright was already facing a time crunch in terms of preparing for Opening Day, as he had yet to begin regular work in the field. With this latest setback, it seems all but certain he’ll open the season on the DL. While that’s hardly an unexpected result for the club, which is no doubt taking the long view here, it’s disappointing to see other issues arising as Wright seeks to somehow play through the significant health conditions he has encountered.

The Mets have already foreseen the need to cover for missed time from Wright, of course, so it’s not as if the team will need to rush out and find a replacement. Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores are both available to fill in, and the open roster spot may clear some additional daylight for players such as T.J. Rivera, Gavin Cecchini, and Matt Reynolds.

Injury Notes: Elbow Therapy, Hamilton, Britton, Cishek, Wright, Wheeler, Braves, Gibson

By Jeff Todd | February 22, 2017 at 10:09am CDT

With elbow health continuing to generate headlines, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the variety of new treatments — generally grouped under the header of orthobiologics — that pitchers, teams, and medical professionals have turned to in an effort to avoid the necessity of going under the knife. Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma treatments are now increasingly being deployed throughout the game, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll prove effective. You’ll certainly want to give this piece a full read to understand the state of the science. Those interested in the general subject will also want to read up on the surgical alternatives to the traditional Tommy John approach to torn ulnar collateral ligaments, as we recently discussed here.

Here’s the latest on some injury and health matters around the league:

Veteran Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is headed for a visit with his surgeon after feeling pain in his recently repaired left knee, as Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram was among those to report on Twitter. It’s unclear as yet how serious a concern the latest knee issue is, though it’s far from the first time that Hamilton has dealt with problems in that joint. The 35-year-old, who last appeared in 2015, is in camp on a minor-league deal. He has been expected to compete for a reserve role as a left-handed-hitting option in the corner outfield, at first base, or in the DH slot.
There’s promising news on Orioles closer Zach Britton’s potential oblique issues, which came to light yesterday. He told reporters, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (links to Twitter), that he’s not overly concerned with the issue and would still be available to throw were it the regular season. Britton’s comments largely echo those made yesterday by manager Buck Showalter, serving to further reduce the volume on the alarm bells. The key southpaw adds that he finds it encouraging that he has not experienced any pain while throwing.
Mariners righty Steve Cishek has picked up a ball for the first time since his hip surgery last fall, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. For now, he’ll only throw lightly off of flat ground every other day, though hopefully he’ll ramp up from there. “It felt pretty good, surprisingly,” said Cishek. “There’s some discomfort, but the joint has to get used to that motion again. I was surprised how good it actually felt.”
Likewise, Mets third baseman David Wright is only beginning to throw the ball, though in his case too it represents an important first step. As Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, manager Terry Collins says it’s likely that Wright won’t take to the field until the middle of March as he continues to work back slowly from serious back and neck issues. Wright is expected to receive opportunities to hit, likely on the minor-league side of camp, in the interim. New York is understandably taking a cautious approach to the veteran. While it still seems unlikely he’ll be ready for Opening Day, the hope may be that he can return to strength in time for MLB action in a relatively early stage of the coming season.
Mets righty Zack Wheeler is back on the bump and was able to throw thirty pitches today without incident, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News tweets. He, too, will surely be handled with kid gloves after a slower-than-hoped return from Tommy John surgery and some elbow discomfort earlier this month. It’s a good sign that Wheeler has been able to return to the mound relatively swiftly, though it remains anyone’s guess just how much the club will get from him in 2017.
There’s some cautious optimism in Braves camp about the health of lefty Paco Rodriguez, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Though Rodriguez “has understandably shown occasional signs of rust” as he works back from his own TJ procedure, writes Bowman, the health signs have been encouraging. Atlanta agreed to a $637,500 salary with Rodriguez to avoid arbitration, seemingly leveraging the possibility of a non-tender to secure a deal that fell below MLBTR’s projection of $900K.
Likewise, Braves righty Dan Winkler is attempting a return, though in his case it’s from a somewhat scarier elbow fracture, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains. The 27-year-old, who had already battled back from Tommy John surgery, faced a much different recovery process after his second procedure. Now, he’s working on refining his delivery to avoid future problems. Because of the time he’s missed, the 2014 Rule 5 draftee still must stay on Atlanta’s active roster for about two months in order for the organization to take full control of his rights.
Twins righty Kyle Gibson is also seeking to make mechanical changes this spring, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. The 29-year-old, who’s set to earn $2.9MM through arbitration, is seeking to tamp down persistent shoulder problems. As Berardino writes, a new training regimen has been designed in order “to teach Gibson’s arm to pronate properly at the end of his delivery” and thus “keep the humerus from rubbing on the shoulder’s connective tissues.”

NL Notes: Cubs, Weaver, Reds, Mets, Nats

By Connor Byrne | February 19, 2017 at 3:07pm CDT

Whether the Cubs extend right-hander Jake Arrieta prior to free agency next winter will be up to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, chairman Tom Ricketts told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “They have the right perspective on what they have to put a great team on the field this year but have a longer term perspective in realizing decisions that affect this year might hurt us in a few years,” said Ricketts, who added that the reigning World Series champions will be “thoughtful and strategic” in deciding when to exceed the luxury-tax threshold. The Cubs spent past the mark for the first time last year, but they’re on track to avoid the penalty this season, estimates Jason Martinez of Roster Resource and MLBTR. Allowing Arrieta to walk in free agency next year would help the Cubs stay under the limit in 2018, too, though they’d also lose the 2015 NL Cy Young winner and one of the game’s top starters. It seems that will happen, however, as Arrieta’s agent, Scott Boras, could push for a $200MM-plus deal. In the meantime, Arrieta will make $15.6375M in his final year of team control.

N.L. Injury Notes: Rodriguez, Wright, Goeddel, Schwarber, Flores

By Jeff Todd | February 14, 2017 at 2:10pm CDT

Braves GM John Coppolella spoke with Bill Shanks of The Macon Telegraph in a wide-ranging interview (audio link) that has plenty of interesting info for Atlanta fans. For our purposes, the most notable segment involved the team’s addition of second baseman Brandon Phillips after the terrifying car crash involving recently added infielder Sean Rodriguez. Per Coppolella, the organization reignited prior talks with the Reds shortly after learning of the accident. It seems that Atlanta isn’t sure as yet just when Rodriguez will be able to join the organization. “We hope that Sean’s family can heal and get right,” said the GM. “… [W]e don’t know when Sean’s going to be back, it’s going to be a long time.”

Here are a host of other notes on injury situations around the National League as pitchers and catchers report:

Mets third baseman David Wright has yet even to throw a baseball since his season-ending neck surgery, Marc Carig of Newsday reports on Twitter. Though the club has seemingly given some consideration to trying him out at first base this spring, it seems that there are plenty of prior hurdles to clear before any position change is attempted. It remains unclear just what kind of timeline the veteran will take this spring, or whether there’s a realistic chance he’ll be ready for Opening Day.
Meanwhile, the Mets are hoping that bone chip surgery for righty Erik Goeddel could help him return to the solid former he showed as a rookie in 2015. As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports, the reliever feels healthy after recovering from the procedure, which was performed to help relieve aching that wouldn’t go away. He’ll compete for a pen role this spring.
The Cubs are set to find out today whether slugger Kyle Schwarber will be cleared to get behind the plate, though the organization plans to be cautious regardless. As Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein put it in colorful terms, saying that “we’ll walk before we squat.” Regardless, Schwarber is expected to spend the bulk of his time in left field while serving as at most a third catcher, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
Cardinals non-roster camp invitee Kendry Flores is heading for an MRI after reporting shoulder discomfort, according to MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (via Twitter). The 25-year-old was added on a minor-league deal over the winter, so was likely seen more as a depth piece than a key member of the staff. He owns a 3.78 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 150 career innings at Triple-A.

Mets Notes: Wright, Cespedes, Asdrubal, Free Agency

By Jeff Todd | October 7, 2016 at 6:47pm CDT

While he obviously wasn’t able to suit up for the Mets in their Wild Card loss the other night, veteran third baseman David Wright says he’s “really positive and really confident that this neck surgery’s going to hold up.” As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports, though Wright hasn’t done anything beyond walking yet in terms of physical activity, it seems he’s already regained quite a bit of strength. The biggest tests from a baseball perspective are yet to come, of course. He’s hoping to be cleared for baseball activity in December.

Here’s more from New York:

There’s no reason the Mets can’t bring back star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes yet again, David Lennon of Newsday suggests. In fact, the club is more confident now than it was last year that a reunion would be possible, with Lennon suggesting that the team believes it has approximately even odds of landing him in free agency. Still, New York isn’t interested in participating in a major bidding war and likely won’t compete past a certain point, he indicates.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is getting checked out for the possibility of knee surgery, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweeted, but no determination has been reported. The balky knee slowed Cabrera at times, but it didn’t stop him from finishing the regular season with a highly productive .280/.336/.474 batting line and 23 home runs. His two-year contract looks to be a bargain, and it’s worth noting that the Mets have an option for 2018 as well.
It’s worth wondering what the Mets might do in free agency, especially if they don’t land Cespedes, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post has some ideas on the matter. He thinks the time is right for the team to pursue fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman, and also suggests that a push for slugger Edwin Encarnacion would make sense. It’s an interesting thought, though the same basic reasoning could lead numerous other teams to make lofty bids for these two players — who’ll likely be among the most expensive to sign this winter.

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