David Wright, perhaps the best slugger in Mets franchise history, had back surgery on Thursday. It’s a procedure that the third baseman says should reduce the risk of further issues to his back in the future. He had a surgery done on his shoulder last month for the same reason. With these two surgeries now in the past, Wright is hopeful to return to baseball action “as soon as possible.” However, recent history tells us to not hold our collective breath.
That’s because Wright missed all of the 2017 season with shoulder and back issues. He appeared to be on the road back to the majors and was on a rehab assignment back in August, but that was derailed by the aforementioned shoulder surgery. Over the past three years, Wright has suited up in just 75 games, all of those coming in 2015 and 2016. At this point, the Mets have to plan ahead as though Wright isn’t coming back, and even if he does, his ability to produce on the field could be limited by his injury history and age. Wright will be 35 years old on Opening Day next year.
Here’s the full statement he released on Thursday:
“Through this entire rehab process, I have been driven to get back on the field as quickly as I can. That’s why I had the shoulder surgery and that’s why today I underwent back surgery to reduce the risk of further issues going forward. With these two surgeries behind me, I hope to be able to put on a Mets uniform again as soon as possible. My desire to play is as strong as ever.”