The latest rendition of Mets Misery will be down to just 10 more games starting Friday in Philadelphia. Those games primarily represent additional audition time for Terry’s Kids, the young guys hoping to impress manager Terry Collins. And for the most diehard of fans, the games are a chance to finish ahead of the Phillies for that coveted NL East third-place banner.
But for David Wright, these 10 games mean so much more.
“If I’m able to play, I want to play. I don’t understand why somebody that’s healthy, that can play, doesn’t play,” Wright said Thursday, one day before his anticipated return from the right hamstring strain that landed him on the disabled list Aug. 3.
Wright could not say for sure he will play Friday.
“There’s a number of reasons,” said Wright, omitting that battle for third place. “One, this is what I want to do. I want to play. Also I’d like to play in front of the fans the last homestand. And then, mentally for the team and myself, I’d like to finish the season strong going into next year with at least a little bit of momentum.
“With how things have gone this year, there’s not too many positives you can take away from this. At least you want to try to win some of those smaller battles down the stretch where you have some things to feel good about going into the offseason.”
Collins simply said, “I think so,” when asked whether Friday is indeed D-Day (David Day) after his star third baseman’s lengthy rehab. Wright’s availability will be determined on a daily basis. Even the call to play Friday will not be made until Friday.
“He may play [Friday] night and then Saturday say, ‘Boy, I’m really stiff,’ ” Collins said. “So it’s really going to be a day-by-day thing.”
Wright did more work Thursday after going through back-to-back workouts for the first time. Determinations were to be made late Thursday and again Friday on how he is feeling. And like the All-Star, Collins sees the positives in a return beyond providing a bat for the third spot in the order: It’s good for the young ‘uns.
“Any time you play side by side with one of the best players in baseball, you’re going to get something out of it,” Collins said. “You watch the way he goes and gets prepared, you watch the way he goes about things. It doesn’t matter what the situation. That’s why we’ve kind of delayed him getting in the lineup because we know that there’s only one way he plays. And so when they see the best player on the team play that hard, they certainly follow suit.”
Wright suffered a moderate Grade 2 strain of the hamstring while running out an infield hit. It’s how he does things. Wright admitted he has not tried any running bursts like that — those only come in games — but he feels ready after all the simulations. And he’s ready to play as many games as he can in the home stretch.
“I would hope they let me play the majority,” Wright said. “As much as l’d like to play, I also understand that it’s important to finish the season for me personally, but it’s also equally as important for me to finish the season healthy. I don’t want to go into the offseason having to rehab something and the uncertainty of coming into spring training a little hurt.”