During Terry Collin’s pre-game conference on Tuesday afternoon, the majority of questions addressed the absence of David Wright and Daniel Murphy from the lineup, unsurprisingly.
Originally, Wright intended to get back out in the field for tonight’s tilt against the Braves. However, after the club’s training staff assessed the Captain, the organization decided to override Wright’s desire to play.
Collins acknowledged that an extended break may be in the best interest of the Mets third baseman but didn’t make any promises. When asked about the prospects of such an occurrence Collins responded, “Look, in order to be at 100% he’s going to need a long period of time off. He’s probably not going to get it here, right now. When the neck is better he’ll be ready to get back in there.”
Terry emphasized that the shoulder which has plagued David throughout the season was not a factor in the Mets decision to keep him out of the lineup on Tuesday evening. He elaborated that at this point in the season, its tough to tell if these aches and pains fall under the spectrum of wear and tear or serious injury.
“We’ve had (his shoulder) examined, there’s no damage in there, he’s got a bruise.” Terry candidly elaborated that he is unsure whether the bruise is affecting David’s ability to swing. Only David can know how the lingering pain is affecting his swing.
Regarding the Mets All-Star second baseman, Collins was hesitant to give a timeline for Murphy’s return.
Given the cautious nature of lower leg injuries, it seems that the Mets will not rush Murphy back before he feels 100%.
From what I can glean, it seems that David’s neck spasms have made it difficult to turn his head and face the pitcher, resulting in him being withheld from the lineup. For the moment, no one should rush to any conclusions beyond that salient point.
In regards to Murphy, one would hope this is a minor, short-term injury but Collin’s did not appear comfortable corroborating that notion. Murphy’s calf is an issue that will have to work itself out over the next couple of days. Don’t be surprised if the infield consists of Duda, Flores, Tejada and Campbell throughout the upcoming series against the Atlanta Braves.
