PORT ST. LUCIE — David Wright insists it’s nothing, but the Mets know better than anyone that “nothing” often becomes “something.”
After earlier in the week incurring what the team has termed left ribcage stiffness, Wright was scratched from Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage at Digital Domain Park, but the third baseman said he will play Monday night’s Grapefruit League opener against the Nationals.
Wright was allowed to take infield practice in the morning, but manager Terry Collins didn’t want him swinging a bat.
“It’s their decision,” Wright said. “If they were real games, obviously I would be playing, but they want to try and take it slow, especially this early in the spring.”
Wright felt soreness in his ribcage Monday and Tuesday, but said he has improved in recent days. He indicated he went full speed in practice from Wednesday through Friday.
“He’s been doing all the drills, we just asked him to back off,” Collins said. “We’ve got 31 exhibition games to play and he said, ‘I want to do the drills, I feel great and I want to play [tomorrow] night.’ I said, ‘Fine, you’re not going to play very much, though, because we’ve got a long way to go.’ ”
The Mets certainly will be cautious with Wright, after he spent two months on the disabled list last season recovering from a stress fracture in his back. Wright played with the injury for about a month before he was shut down to begin rehab.
“I’ve been going at full speed for three days now, so I was kind of limited for two days, but since then I’ve been fine,” Wright said, “They just [wanted] to wait two more days and play [tomorrow]. It’s just some soreness that didn’t escalate into anything else.”
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Collins said today’s plan calls for Wright to swing the bat and put more effort into his game. Wright yesterday did fielding drills with infield coach Tim Teufel.
Scott Hairston appeared almost shell-shocked yesterday as he sat at his locker trying to make sense of what had just occurred.
After missing the final month of last season with a strained left oblique, it’s back to square one for the Mets outfielder, who sustained the same injury in yesterday’s intrasquad scrimmage at Digital Domain Park.
Hairston was swinging at a pitch in the first inning when he felt a twinge in his side.
“It does blow my mind, that’s the most frustrating part about it,” said Hairston, guessing that scar tissue might have caused the flare up.
Hairston intends to receive a cortisone shot within the next day two days and hopes that will allow him to return without missing extended action. Hairston said he did not have a cortisone shot after straining his oblique last August.
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Johan Santana threw a light bullpen session and is set to pitch Tuesday against the Cardinals in a Grapefruit League game. … Single-game tickets for the regular season will go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Mets.com or by calling (718) 507-TIXX.
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The club also announced the addition of the Mets Concert Series and Fireworks Night to the promotional schedule. The Friday night post-game Concert Series will feature REO Speedwagon following the 7:10pm game against the Reds on June 15; Cheap Trick after the 7:10 pm game vs. the Dodgers on July 20; and MercyMe, a Christian rock band, following the 7:10 pm game against the Braves on August 10.
Fireworks night will follow the night game between the Mets and Phillies on July 3.