LAKELAND, Fla.– Rest wasn’t helping David Wright recover quickly enough from his rib injury, so the Mets third baseman decided to get a cortisone shot in New York yesterday, but it’s still not known when he will get back on the field.
“I know when David comes back [today], he’ll have a time frame in mind, most likely mid-week or late-week, before he resumes some on field activities,” manager Terry Collins said after the Mets tied the Tigers, 7-7, in 10 innings at Joker Marchant Stadium. “Then we’ll see where he is by the weekend.”
General manager Sandy Alderson said the ultrasound-guided injection into the left side of Wright’s rib cage was done to accelerate the healing process and that the injury wasn’t sever, but opted not to guess at when Wright would be back.
“The doctors told us that he essentially plateaued,” Alderson said.
***Tim Byrdak will be out longer after being diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee yesterday. He is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery today at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan and is expected to miss six weeks, so the Mets will be looking for another lefty reliever.
Alderson mentioned pitchers already in camp, such as Robert Carson, Chuck James and Garrett Olsen, as well as Josh Edgin, a 25-year-old who hasn’t pitched above Class-A, but who moved to major league camp yesterday.
“We have to look at guys in a different light now that Byrdak is down,” Collins said.
The team could also sign free agent C.J. Nitkowski, who worked out for the Mets last week- although Alderson said that wouldn’t happen for “a couple of days.”
Still, Byrdak’s injury will leave a hole in the pen and Alderson said that “ideally,” the Mets would have a southpaw in the pen and “this injury notwithstanding, I expect we still will.”
***Johan Santana went through a full workout in Port St. Lucie, including PFP drills, and said he’s “feeling good” following Sunday’s start, his second of the spring. He is scheduled to pitch Friday. … Lucas Duda returned from a stiff back and hit a grand slam in the fifth. He said he felt fine. … Jon Niese gave up three runs on five hits in three innings, striking out four. … Mike Nickeas helped his cause to become the backup catcher with a pair of doubles. “He’s done nothing but swing the bat very, very well,” Collins said.
Additional reporting by Kevin Kernan