David Wright got his first legitimate action of the spring during a simulated game on Monday. The New York Mets captain went 1-for-5, but didn't get any reps in the field. As he inches closer toward his spring training debut, many are still wondering how many regular season games Wright will play in 2016.
Spinal stenosis kept Captain America sidelined for the majority of the 2015 season. The 33-year-old played in just 38 regular season games and added 14 postseason contests during the Mets' run to the World Series. General manager Sandy Alderson said Wright could log 130 games in 2016, but there's simply no way to determine that at this juncture.
Wright said himself that there's no definitive plan for how many games he'll play because of how difficult it is to manage his injury. Spinal stenosis needs to be monitored each and every day, as we've seen in spring training. Wright needs 60-90 minutes of conditioning and physical therapy each day just to participate in baseball activities.
"This is exactly what we discussed before camp even started," Wright said. "Try to set not necessarily a plan but a schedule, and we're exactly right on schedule that we originally threw out there before spring even started."
The veteran continued to take it easy even during his simulated game. Although he ran the bases, he didn't play the field and it's possible he plays in one or two more simulated games before making his Grapefruit League debut.
Wright said he'd rather be in a good position by the time the Mets take on the Chicago Cubs for their final two spring training games later in March rather than rush his debut sooner. His thorough workouts and preparation obviously indicate he's avoiding shortcuts in order to play in as many games in 2016, but the estimation of 130 is nothing more than an educated guess at this point.
One Mets official said he would be "surprised" if Wright reached 100 games this upcoming season, which perhaps epitomizes those that are pessimistic about his chances of enduring a full and healthy campaign.
However, Wright and the team will just have to wait and see how the spinal stenosis affects his ability to perform.
