Just Mets

There’s an important event taking place at the Mets spring training home on Monday night.

It has less to do with budding prospects such as Amed Rosario, Jeff McNeil and Amed Rosario, and more to do with David Wright serving as the designated hitter for the St. Lucie Mets in their game against the Fort Myers Miracle.

“This is all new to all of us, and we don’t know how David is going to react,” manager Collins said on Sunday. “He thinks it’s going to be fast, but he doesn’t know, either.”

Collins said he spoke to Wright Sunday morning, and he was expressing excitement to begin the road back to the Mets, which he hopes is complete within two weeks.

Wright will serve as the designated hitter on Monday, and if all goes well, he will test himself at third base for St. Lucie on Tuesday night.

“He probably is going to play two, get one off, play two, get another one off and then maybe play three,” Collins explained.

Typically, the organization prefers their rehabbing players to get 20-25 at-bats while on assignment. But Wright has not played in a single game in four months, so he will likely require 30 or more at-bats, with the time off Collins outlined in his discussion with reporters on Sunday.

Of course, the timeline assumes there will be no setbacks for Wright, an assumption which nobody is making.

“You’ve got to get in condition. You just don’t walk out and play this game,” Collins said.

Wright has labeled this rehabilitation as his, “one shot” to return to the big leagues in 2015. If there is even the slightest setback that requires a shutdown, that return could become doubtful fast.

But Wright completed five intense days of baseball activities on Saturday without a hitch, which serves as a very positive sign.

For now.

The test begins tonight, when his movements are less predictable and more reactionary. How will he respond to sliding or diving back into first? How will he respond to the quick rotation when he swings, or when he’s fooled on an off-speed pitch?

If he gets through tonight without a hitch, the test only grows more difficult when he has to move suddenly to his left or right with a potential dive, charge balls and make off-balanced throws, execute rundowns, and manage all of this on a daily basis.

If he gets through all of this and is activated from the disabled list later this month, what is he going to be and how much can he play? Neither of these questions can be answered until he’s actually here and in uniform.

“So, when the process starts coming, he’s going to be sore. And, if the back’s sore, he’s got to take a day off,” Collins explained. “That will be all determined as we go,” Collins concluded.

It’s a banner day for Wright. But it’s only the first of many very uncertain and unpredictable steps for the star third baseman.

Time will tell how steep this staircase is.

But if he can get to the top, what an inspiration he will be.