Marc Malusis: Mets will, eventually, face tough decision on David Wright

Word came down Thursday night and was made official by the Mets on Friday that David Wright will be out six to eight weeks with a herniated disc and was headed to the DL. The news was not stunning in anyway shape or form. It was anticipated.

When David Wright signed his contract extension in December 2012, the Mets would not have envisioned things playing out the way they have the past few years. Unfortunately, that is the stark reality we’re left to deal with. Not only is Wright signed through the 2020 season, but there are serious questions about his future ability to play the game he loves.

Will his body hold up? How productive will he be? What is the Mets’ plan for the short-term and the long-term? How will the Mets handle his eventual transition from cornerstone player to part-time player?

Wright has not been consistently healthy for the past few years. He has been a wonderful player for the Mets on and off the field since breaking into the majors in 2014. At present time, David Wright is the franchise leader in 13 different offensive categories.

He has dealt with disappointing postseason losses and regular season collapses. He watched his organization cut back on spending after the Bernie Madoff fiasco. In 2011, he handled The New Yorker comments by owner Fred Wilpon brilliantly.

If you recall, in the article Wilpon described Wright as a “really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar.” Wright did not get angry or fly off the handle, he accepted Fred Wilpon’s apology and said the comments were not a big deal. He dealt with the long rebuilding process and kept his chin up as he dealt with a lot of losing seasons.

When the Mets built CitiField, it was originally designed to fit the strengths of Jose Reyes as a player, you did not hear Wright complain. Finally, his, along with every Mets fans’ patience in this great city finally paid off in 2015. Finally, the Mets were relevant and Wright was back in the postseason for the first time since 2006.

Was he the same player? No. However, Wright has always represented a calming presence. When he returned last Aug. 24 after a long rehab from spinal stenosis and homered in his first game back against the Phillies, it certainly felt right as “Captain America” was back.

So that brings us to last Friday as the Mets officially placed Wright on the DL and said he will be shut down for the next two months. He has certainly struggled this season as he has hit .226 with 7 homeruns, 14 RBI in 137 at bats. But before his latest injury, he had homered in three straight games.

You see, Wright is a Met through and through. He was drafted and developed by the team. He became a star and a captain for the organization. As much as Mets fans want to see this team win for themselves, they want to see the Mets win for one player: David Wright.

That is the very reason that it is upsetting to see his body break down the way it has. For dealing with so much, he deserved opportunities to play for a relevant team. Now, the rest of this season and his role on this team in the future is being called into question. The injury he is now dealing with will keep him out for two months. For a player that never turned the page on his Mets, the Mets might have no other choice but to turn the page on him.