TOUGHING IT OUT: David Wright, here during an at-bat in the WBC, “reassured” Mets manager Terry Collins he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Wright is sidelined with a moderate intercostal strain. (
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PORT ST. LUCIE — David Wright is refusing to make a public decree about Opening Day, but his words to his manager yesterday upon returning to the Mets revealed the third baseman’s mindset.
“He reassured me he’ll be ready,” Terry Collins said after the Mets’ 2-1 exhibition loss to the Braves at Tradition Field. “I’m not doubting him, but we certainly have to have a contingency plan in case he’s not. But he said, ‘I’ll be out there.’ ”
Wright was still sore after receiving a cortisone shot in his left rib cage area two days earlier, and physical activity remains off limits. It likely won’t be until the middle of this week that Wright will receive an idea of what activities he can resume after team doctors diagnosed him with a “moderate” intercostal strain on Friday.
Wright defended his decision to initially play through the soreness for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, saying he was “honest” with the Mets and alerted them when it became evident he might be at risk. The Mets were told about the problem on Thursday and Wright was scratched from Team USA’s lineup. Wright said he first began experiencing soreness about a week earlier.
“I always play through whatever I can,” Wright said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the WBC or spring training or the regular season that I play through whatever I can tolerate playing through.
“And I could tolerate playing through it and I was fine with it, and once it got to the point I thought it might prohibit me from coming back and producing with the Mets, that’s when it was time to make that decision.”
Wright, who received the nickname “Captain America” during the WBC for his heroics with Team USA — including a grand slam to help beat Italy — said he doesn’t regret participating in the event.
“You can get hurt in spring training,” he said. “You can get hurt before spring training. Playing baseball, there is some risk that comes along with it, whether it’s in Port St. Lucie or Arizona or Miami, there is risk that comes along with that. It’s part of the game and it happens. It’s not because of the tournament.
“The tournament, I felt like I was prepared. I think everyone there was prepared and unfortunately things like that happen. It has nothing to do with the tournament itself. It has everything to do with some bad luck.”
In Wright’s absence, the Mets will continue giving rookie Zach Lutz a look at third base. Justin Turner sprained his right ankle on Saturday, but precautionary X-rays were negative and Turner is hopeful he can return to the lineup by Thursday.
Wright doesn’t anticipate needing a layoff as extensive as last spring, when he strained an abdominal muscle and missed half of camp.
“Obviously the goal of mine is to be ready by Opening Day, but first things first, and get the pain out of my side,” Wright said. “I’m in a little different position than I was in last year because I didn’t play any games [before the injury] last year.
“I’ve played plenty of games this year and had plenty of at-bats. Now the biggest thing is I don’t want this to linger throughout the year. I’ve got to be able to knock this out before I go to baseball stuff.”