Just Mets

David Wright’s journey back to a baseball field has led to nowhere on several occasions over the last 2 1/2 months.

But on Sunday, Terry Collins offered an encouraging note on Wright’s progress.

Wright is now feeling good to the point he hopes Dr. Watkins clears him for some mild baseball activities this week, Collins said after Sunday’s win.

Collins said Wright has actually begun some type of baseball activity, but wasn’t clear on how that could be defined. It is unlikely he is doing anything on a baseball field, however.

Collins should probably keep these conversations to himself until the doctor actually allows the player and the team to proceed. It creates an expectation, fairly or not, and there’s no way to know where tomorrow’s meeting will ultimately go.

Remember, it was only ten days ago Sandy Alderson said there was no change in Wright’s routine, and Wright told me himself just seven days ago he had no idea what was next or when he might even begin to think about returning to Port St. Lucie.

Now, of course this is encouraging news, but it should be made clear Wright is not close to coming back. Assuming he is cleared to return to Port St. Lucie, whether it’s tomorrow or in a week or two, he will probably need the equivalent of a full spring training to get back on a diamond, which is about a month.

That timetable assumes there are no setbacks, no other injuries, and no further complications. Wright and the team will proceed with caution and act ultra-conservatively to ensure he can return, return and play at a high level, and make sure he does not encounter any problems along the way.

There’s also understanding what Wright might be when and if he does get back, and how much he’s going to be able to play.

In other words, there are a ton of obstacles to overcome before even being able to pinpoint a return date for Wright.