Last season’s National League champions sustained an unfortunate blow when it was announced that a David Wright neck injury will land him on the DL for an expected long period of time. Specifically, Wright suffered a herniated disk in his neck. Wright has had a long history of back-related injuries throughout his career, and this time it is sure to cause some chaos within the New York Mets lineup.
David Wright Neck Injury Leads to DL
This season, Wright has a slash line of .226/.350/.438 and has hit seven home runs in 137 at-bats. He’s put up a much-improved home run percentage of 4.3% and a solid isolated power figure of .212. To replace Wright on the Mets roster, the team has called up infielder Matt Reynolds, who has been producing a mediocre OPS of .651 so far this year with Triple-A Las Vegas.
With Lucas Duda also out with an injury, Wilmer Flores was manning first base. Now, Flores will likely take over Wright’s duties at the hot corner, at least until prospect Dilson Herrera is called to the big leagues. Flores has been having a disappointing season at the plate so far, with a slash line of just .167/.242/.267, and just one long ball and one stolen base in 60 at-bats. He has also been sub-par defensively, with a defensive WAR of -0.2. Herrera has fared far better in Las Vegas, batting .280 with eight home runs and six stolen bases.
The loss of the power-hitting face of the franchise comes at a critical time for the Mets, who currently sit three games back from the Washington Nationals in the NL East, and are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the top wildcard spot. The loss of this important offensive piece, as well as a valuable clubhouse presence, could prove costly to the Mets in their search for another trip to the World Series.
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