David Wright left Saturday’s 7-3 win over the Cubs after being drilled by a pitch from Dan Straily on the left shoulder, virtually in the same spot that has been bothering him for much of the season.
“It just got me in a spot that’s bothersome,” Wright said. “It’s just unlucky.”
Wright went to the ground before heading to first and initially stayed in the game. He scored the Mets’ first run in their four-run sixth inning, but was replaced in the top of the seventh by Eric Campbell.
Manager Terry Collins, who said Wright was due to sit out a game before Thursday’s off day, said the third baseman “probably” would sit at least Sunday.
“It’s been fine,” Wright said. “I’ll see how it feels in the morning. As soon as I felt it hit that spot, it just [stinks] out of my whole back, it had to be that one area.”
Jacob deGrom threw on Saturday for the first time since being shut down with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Collins said that in “an ideal world,” he would make his return to the rotation when he’s eligible to return next weekend in Los Angeles in place of Rafael Montero.
“In an ideal world, yes,” Collins said after watching deGrom play catch in the outfield. “But I’m not sure we live in an ideal world.”
Both Collins and deGrom were encouraged following the session, when deGrom threw from 90 feet. He is scheduled to throw off a mound on Sunday.
DeGrom last pitched on Aug. 7. Discomfort in his shoulder prompted the team to send him for tests and he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched six innings in a rehab start with Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. Collins said if there are no problems, Matsuzaka likely would have at least one more rehab outing.
Zack Wheeler threw 120 pitches in Friday’s win over the Cubs and Collins said he and pitching coach Dan Warthen will keep a close eye on him going forward.
The manager said they don’t want Wheeler to throw more than 330 pitches combined in any three-start period. He tossed 112 pitches in his previous outing against the Phillies, so Wheeler figures to be capped around 100 pitches when he faces the Athletics on Wednesday.
“Next game we may have to taper him back,” Collins said.
Collins said he let Wheeler go out for the seventh because of the way he was pitching.
“It was a situation where we wanted him to go out and pitch one more inning,” Collins said. “He was throwing the ball well. The next time out, we’ll do a better job monitoring his pitch count.”
Travis d’Arnaud was back in the lineup after taking a backswing off his left elbow Friday night, but Collins said the catcher is hit too much behind the plate.
“Right now he’s OK,” Collins said. “We are concerned about this. This guy has had one concussion [this season]. He’s had three in his career.”
And they haven’t figured out what to do about it.
“We like where he sets up behind plate,” Collins said. “If you move him back too far he becomes susceptible to foul tips. If you move him underneath more … he’s susceptible to backswings.”