HURT NO GOOD: David Wright said he knew he “got banged up” while diving to tag out Carlos Lee at third base on this play of the Mets’ 6-1 loss to the Astros on April 19, but “thought it was one of those things that would go away.” (AP)
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The Mets crossed their fingers this season that veterans like Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran would stay healthy.
They weren’t too worried about David Wright.
Evidently, no one is safe.
The third baseman was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lower back after an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery yesterday, stemming from a play at Citi Field against the Astros on April 19, when he dove and tagged Carlos Lee at third.
“Going into that I was preparing for Josh Johnson and the Marlins,” Wright said of yesterday’s tests. “And coming out of that, my head was spinning.”
Johnson left last night’s game with his own injury after taking a fifth-inning Beltran bouncer off his forearm, but the Mets couldn’t capitalize and lost, 2-1 in 11 innings.
The Mets were getting a second opinion on Wright, but if the stress fracture is confirmed, Wright will likely be out for at least two weeks.
“It would be a nonsurgical course of treatment,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. “According to the information we have now, it would be rest for the next 10 days or so [and then] a return to baseball activity. We’re not talking about something long term, but we are talking about something that may require him to rest for a period of time.”
It’s just another issue for manager Terry Collins, who inserted Willie Harris at third against Florida last night.
“I was shocked by it,” Collins said of the diagnosis.
The Mets didn’t specify which bone was fractured.
“[Wright] is, without a question, the face of this team,” the manager said. “His presence in this lineup is something we need. We’re going to ask other guys to pick it up as of today. But I was shocked and unhappy.”
Wright insisted the injury is not the reason his average has plummeted to .226.
“This is not a cop-out or an excuse for what I’ve done so far,” Wright said. “I played through it and if I take the field, I expect to perform a certain level. Thus far, I haven’t performed at that level, but I don’t think this injury is the reason I’ve gotten off to a slow start.”
Wright admitted he was “stubborn” in putting off the MRI.
“I still think if the risk wasn’t there, I could play through it,” Wright said.
That won’t happen.
“I don’t think it prohibited me from doing anything,” Wright said. “I was just uncomfortable. I knew I got banged up on the play, but I thought it was one of those things that would go away. But it turned stiff and then to pain, to continued pain. It wasn’t anything I thought was serious.”
Alderson said Wright will presumably go on the disabled list today and the team will then recall Nick Evans from Triple-A Buffalo. After last night’s game, Ruben Tejada was called up as the Mets made a series of moves.
It’s yet another setback for a team that can ill afford them.
“We start playing well and sure enough, Ike goes down then David right after that,” Jason Bay said. “Just when you think momentum is on your side, you get this thrown at you. It’s frustrating, especially when you play a road trip like we did and are closing in on .500. Then, bang, reevaluate.”
Though Wright insisted his back isn’t the reason for his struggles, hitting coach Dave Hudgens disagreed.
“You try not to aggravate it, so you change certain things,” Hudgens said. “Before he got hurt, it looked like he was starting to figure it out. It’s tough. I just hope other guys get hot.”
dan.martin@nypost.com