MIAMI (AP) – New York Mets third baseman David Wright will be out at least six weeks and perhaps a lot longer with a herniated disk in his neck, and the team didn’t try to minimize the loss Friday.
“It’s going to be tough,” manager Terry Collins said. “It’s pretty shocking to hear about the length of time.”
Wright had been sidelined since Monday, and the Mets initially hoped the injury was minor. He planned to fly to California to see Dr. Robert Watkins for further evaluation to figure out if it’s possible to avoid surgery.
Wright is expected to need six to eight weeks of rest and rehabilitation, the Mets said, and they put him on the disabled list. He was batting only .226 with seven homers and 14 RBIs for the defending NL champions, but his role as captain makes him difficult to replace.
“We’ve got to pick it up certainly in the clubhouse,” Collins said. “His leadership off the field is second to none. We need to pick that part of it up and just hope he gets better, just hope he gets through this. I know he’ll put the time and effort into the rehab to get back, and we’ll just hope he gets back soon.”
Now 33, Wright was on the disabled list from April 15 to Aug. 24 last year when he strained his right hamstring and then developed spinal stenosis.
Collins said he’s confident Wright will return this season. In the meantime, he said, Wilmer Flores will play third, and he was in the lineup Friday when the Mets began a 10-game trip in Miami.
Flores went into the game batting .167 for a team that hit .211 in May, worst in the majors.
“We need everybody to step up,” Collins said. “We’re not hitting very good.”
Flores batted .263 with 16 home runs last year, when he had a career-high 483 at-bats. Resuming the role of a regular will help him at the plate, he said.
“Knowing that you can be in the lineup every day, it changes everything,” Flores said. “It’s something that I’ve done a lot, and I know what to do, and so it’s definitely going to be easier for me to find my way out there.”
The Mets recalled infielder Matt Reynolds to take Wright’s spot on the roster.