One pain in the neck disappeared Thursday just in time for another to arrive.
David Wright’s previously sore neck stopped barking enough for him to return to the Mets lineup, but Braves lefty Mike Minor brought a different kind of hurt.
Minor took his 4.90 ERA to the mound at Citi Field and morphed into Clayton Kershaw for the night — as many have this season against this punchless bunch — and sent the Mets to a 6-1 loss that knocked them 10 games below .500.
Wright, in his return after missing the previous two games with spasms in his neck, finished 0-for-4 and hit into a double play in the seventh inning. Eric Campbell’s RBI single in the eighth gave the Mets their only run against Minor (6-8), who surrendered four hits over seven-plus innings.
Jon Niese (7-10) allowed three earned runs on nine hits and one walk over 7 ¹/₃ innings to lose his second straight. Ryan Doumit’s two-run homer against Daisuke Matsuzaka in the ninth iced it.
One month remains on the Mets calendar, a last chance for Wright to rescue his season from the dumpster.
“For me, with the way things have gone up to this point there is no sense in whining about it or moping around and hanging your head,” Wright said. “I can use this next month to do well and hopefully get as many team wins as possible, but also get it going for me offensively to springboard into next year.
“The important thing for all of us is to finish up as strongly as we can. There are jobs open for next year, there is playing time open and confidence-wise it’s good to finish on a strong note and carry that over into spring training next year.”
Wright was removed early from Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium with soreness in the neck and spent Tuesday and Wednesday resting. He said the neck had been a factor before Sunday, but not to the point he considered removing himself from the lineup.
In June, Wright jammed his left shoulder diving headfirst into second base, but attempted to play through the injury.
But with the shoulder barking, he was shut down for a week in early July, barely avoiding a disabled list stint. Wright had a cortisone shot in the shoulder during the All-Star break, but has refused to use the injury as an excuse for his anemic numbers. He has not homered since the All-Star break and has gone 66 plate appearances without an extra-base hit.
Braves outfielder B.J. Upton, who grew up with Wright in the Chesapeake, Va., area, suggested a culmination of factors have played into his friend’s struggles.
“He’s human,” Upton said. “That is basically what it comes down to. He’s had some injuries, also. All that combined, that is the game of baseball. He has probably played some games he shouldn’t be playing and won’t remove himself from the lineup.”
Does Wright put too much pressure on himself?
“I don’t think it’s pressure,” Upton said. “I just think he expects a lot out of himself and he’s always striving to be the best. That is just him.”
After this season, Wright will still have six years remaining on the $138 million contract he received in December 2012.
For that kind of money, the Mets will need better than the .687 OPS Wright has produced this year.
Justin Upton — B.J.’s younger brother — said he expects Wright back on track soon.
“At the end of the day he’s still the leader of that club and everybody knows that,” Justin Upton said. “He is a hard worker — a guy who works his tail off and tries to be the best every time he steps out there so I don’t see why he wouldn’t turn it around.”