David Wright‘s lost 2014 season has finally been put to an end. The New York Mets officially declared their All-Star third baseman out for the season Tuesday after a season-long battle with shoulder problems:
Wright, 31, was held out of Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Colorado Rockies and was sent to undergo further testing after feeling an increase in pain.
“This guy plays with so much pain that when he says it’s not right, there’s a little concern,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, per Danny Knobler of ESPN New York.
Eric Campbell replaced Wright in the order. The likeliest move going forward will see Daniel Murphy slide over to the hot corner to give rising prospect Dilson Herrera a long look at second base. A seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Wright initially hurt the shoulder in June. He missed only after bruising his right rotator cuff but has been playing at less than 100 percent ever since.
The injury has almost entirely eliminated his effectiveness at the plate, rendering him a shell of the star usually good for 20 home runs and a .300 average. He’ll finish 2014 hitting .269/.324/.374 with a career-low eight home runs and 63 RBI.
He has not hit a home run since July 11—by far the longest streak of his 11-year MLB career. One of the best offensive third basemen in the league for most of his career, Wright’s isolated slugging nearly cut in half from 2013 to 2014.
“When your shoulder is hurt, it’s really tough,” Johnson hitting coach Lamar Johnson told reporters last month. “It’s hurt in his left shoulder and that’s where your swing starts, with your left side, your left hand getting to the ball. Its been tough because he’s been trying to play through that. It’s just been a real tough haul because it’s hard to get a consistent swing when you’re in pain.”
While Wright has tried gutting through the pain as the Mets hung on the fringes of the NL Wild Card race, their playoff odds are looking slim. Tuesday’s win brought them to 70-75, six games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the loss column and with three teams in between. It’d take a miracle-level hot streak for New York to have a chance now.
With the Mets showing promise in 2014 and ace Matt Harvey due back from Tommy John surgery next season, shutting down Wright seems like the prudent option. He’ll have ample time to recover—surgery is not expected to be needed—and get back on the field by spring training.
This will be the second time in four years an injury has cut Wright’s season short. In 2011, a back injury caused him to miss more than two months and turn in what remains the worst season of his career. Judging by wins over replacement, Wright’s 2.0 this season gives him a slight edge over the 1.7 three years ago—although Wright played in fewer games in 2011.
The bright side for the Mets is that Wright came back better than ever in 2012 and 2013. If shutting him down now allows for a return to All-Star form, it’s a trade-off everyone involved will take. Nonetheless, this a disappointing end to what had already been Wright’s most frustrating big league campaign.
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