Mets pull out tough win on Harvey Day, but lose David Wright to injury
The New York Mets pulled out a tough 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, but it came at a cost. Third baseman David Wright left the contest after pulling up lame with a hamstring injury on a steal attempt in the eighth inning.
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While the severity of Wright’s injury is not known, there’s significant concern that he could be bound for a stint on the disabled list. Following the game, manager Terry Collins told the media Wright’s injury was “a major problem,” according to MLB.com.
He went on to add:
Wright is slated to have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury Wednesday.
For Wright, any significant time away from the field would be devastating. Wright is no stranger to injuries. He missed significant time with a back issue in 2011, a thigh strain in 2013 and was plagued by a shoulder issue last year.
Wright attempted to play through the shoulder sprain in 2014, but was clearly impacted by the injury. In 134 games, Wright hit just .269/.324/.374, with just eight home runs. By all measures, it was the worst offensive season of Wright’s career.
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This injury comes at the worst possible time for Wright. At age 32, it was unclear whether last season’s woes were due to the shoulder, or the first signs of age-related decline. While he was off to a strong start this season, hitting .333/.371/.424 over his first 35 plate appearances, that’s far too small a sample to make any definitive judgments about whether he was back to his former level of performance.
On top of that, his age suggests that he’s not going to suddenly get healthier. When healthy, Wright has been among the best players in the game. But he’s dealt with his fair share of injuries early in his career, and that’s not going to go away as his body continues to age.
For the Mets, the blow would be significant. The club was thought to be a borderline playoff contender before losing Zack Wheeler to Tommy John surgery. While they were fortunate enough to have the pitching depth to weather that injury, New York doesn’t have the offensive depth to replace Wright.
In fact, it’s unclear who would play third if Wright were to miss time. Michael Cuddyer has experience at the position, but it doesn’t seem like the Mets had planned on using him there.
Cuddyer fractured his shoulder playing third last season, so he might be reluctant to shift over to the position if Wright misses time. It should also be noted that Cuddyer also left Tuesday’s contest after being hit on the hand by a pitch. X-rays were negative and he expects to return to the lineup without missing any games.
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Though Wright entered the season with a fair amount of uncertainty, any significant time away from the field would severely impact the Mets’ chances at playoff contention. The team was already considered a fringy contender before the injury, so losing arguably their best offensive player for a couple of weeks could wind up being the difference.
The Mets needed things to break the right way if they hoped to play in October. Their tenuous grasp on a playoff spot could take a major hit depending on the results of Wright’s MRI.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
