It isn’t the way he wanted to end his career, but David Wright will be taking one last set of swings as the third baseman for the New York Mets.
New York’s captain — who was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2015 and hasn’t played in the majors since 2016 — will return to the team and be activated for their final homestand of the 2018 season at Citi Field starting September 25.
While Wright, a seven-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glover and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, won’t be playing that night, he will start at third base on Saturday, September 29.
It’s a fitting farewell gesture for a team that has had few fan favorites that have remained in New York longer than a few seasons in recent years.
So Mets did right thing allowing him to play again. He deserved that. Met fans should give him a nice sendoff.
— Mike Francesa (@MikeFrancesa) September 13, 2018
“I’ve been wearing this uniform or something similar for half my life now,” Wright said at a news conference. “That’s an honor that I take a lot of pride in. To my teammates, coaches, and staff, it’s certainly been the honor of a lifetime to take the field with you and serve as your captain.”
And, while he will be back on the field, Wright said he didn’t see the possibility of his baseball career extending beyond 2018 as a possibility due to his health issues.
Wright is set to earn $15 million in 2019 and $12 million in 2020. The team has been able to recoup a good deal of his salary via insurance policies and it’s possible this brief return could have some bearing on that.
Here’s Wright addressing the plan for the rest of his time with the Mets.
The Captain speaks live about his timeline for the remainder of the season. #Mets #DavidWright https://t.co/hDVx3j07Mz
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 13, 2018
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