This will be the first time in 12 years that the starting third baseman for the New York Mets on Opening Day will not be David Wright. To put that into perspective, the last time someone other than Wright started at first base was Ty Wigginton in 2004 who went 0-4 with a walk and an RBI.
The Captain was on track to return in time from the neck surgery he underwent last season, however a right shoulder impingement extended his timetable. Speaking to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Wright expressed his disappointment in not being in the Opening Day lineup.
“The disappointment level is high,” Wright said. “I wish there is something else I could do to get ready, but there is nothing. That’s how you kind of maybe soften the disappointment of not being ready, is that I am doing everything I possibly can and that is how I go about it. I wish I was on the field, of course, but I just can’t.”
Wright has been taking batting practice, fielding ground balls, and running all spring, but his shoulder impingement doesn’t allow him to throw. Reports indicate that he might be able to start throwing again in two weeks, with no clear timetable after that for when his arm would be back to full strength or when he would be cleared to play. Just because Wright is healthy, though, isn’t reason enough for him to rejoin the team in Flushing.
“We’re in a position now where this team is built to win, so when I do come back I have to be ready to produce and not get back just for the sake of getting back, because this is really a deep team,” Wright said.
Before succumbing to neck surgery last season, Captain America appeared in 37 games hitting .226/.350/.438 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs.
