David Wright might be able to play baseball again. Not next season. This season.
Chris Capuano, forced to leave yesterday’s game after six innings because of discomfort on the right side of his abdomen that was later characterized as a cramp, is not expected to miss his next start.
Can Fred Wilpon KO’ing Irving Picard be far behind?
OK, let’s not get hysterical. Let’s not be so quick to celebrate the passing of the dark cloud that has hovered over the franchise and bask in the rays of sunshine peering through here. These are, after all, the Bad News Mets until proven otherwise.
But Jose Reyes didn’t pull a hamstring after yesterday’s two-hour, 15-minute rain delay. Mr. Met didn’t have to fly to California for a second opinion on anything. Ya Gotta Believe the baseball gods have finally decided to show mercy on the Bad News Mets. Now we need them to pray for Gary Carter.
“Just very quickly on David Wright — he was given the green light today to commence fuller baseball activity,” GM Sandy Alderson said after Mets 4, A’s 1.
Wright’s back isn’t back. But in three weeks, it might be. Wright, who has missed 36 games, will head today for Port St. Lucie to begin full exercise activity prior to swinging the bat within the next week.
“And then you’re talking about batting practice and a whole host of other truly baseball activities before playing in a game . . . so this still could be some period of time,” Alderson said.
The Amazin’ Terry Collins, who somehow has the Bad News Mets at 37-38, without Wright, without Johan Santana, without Ike Davis, could barely contain his glee.
“With all the blows we’ve taken in the last six weeks, this is finally a positive,” Collins said, “and when you saw David today, he’s so fired up to be able to get back on the field. So this is really, really good news for us.”
No one should be under any illusions about Wright storming back to lead a wild-card push, particularly if and when Alderson pulls the trigger on deals for Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez.
“If he comes back healthy, he’s gonna be productive,” Mike Pelfrey said.
Maybe the baseball gods like the way the Bad News Mets scrap and overachieve. Until last night, the only significant slack they’ve cut Collins is giving him a healthy Carlos Beltran.
“I think that we’ve actually played pretty well in the absence of two pretty big spots in that lineup,” Jason Bay said. “So I think we kinda look at it like we’re almost making, whenever David comes back, a trade because he’s been gone for so long that you kinda settle in with the guys you have here, and then you’re like, ‘Well you know we got David.’ ”
And a rejuvenated Bay, who lifted the ball yesterday and is showing signs of breaking out of his funk, would be like making another trade.
“Absolutely . . . I mean, I haven’t done anything near what I’m capable of,” Bay said.
Bay looks more confident at the plate.
“I feel more confident,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been searching, but I feel like I found it and I can work on it, ya know?”
Capuano, a bargain basement All-Star, stands as a symbol of the magic that Alderson will be expected to perform in Flushing as the payroll dwindles. He suffered a cramp warming up in the bullpen and was removed as a precaution after 88 pitches and six innings of shutout ball.
The moment of truth for Capuano came in the fourth inning when the A’s loaded the bases with two outs. Pitching coach Dan Warthen trotted to the mound.
“It was more just to kinda give me a timeout and make me relax a little bit,” Capuano said.
Landon Powell looked at a 91 mph fastball for strike three.
Will he miss his next start?
“He does have an extra day rest for his next start, so at this point there’s no indication that that would be the case,” Alderson said.
Good News Mets.
steve.serby@nypost.com