Wright in the Lineup

Wright will try to get back in the swing of things today.

In a completely unexpected twist, a Mets player will return sooner than expected from injury. David Wright is in the lineup today, batting 3rd.

Wright jammed his right pinkie diving back to first base on a pickoff play on Monday.  Then, the fifth digit ballooned up like Kirstie Alley overnight, and David hasn’t played since.  He was officially diagnosed with a small fracture of the knuckle.

On Thursday, Wright was cleared by doctors to return to play “as tolerated, ” which basically meant he could play if he felt he could grip a bat or a ball without pain.  On Friday, he could do neither.  But here we are, a day later, and Wright is in his accustomed spot in at third base, batting 3rd.

Is he being rushed back?  If so, Wright could favor his pinkie and develop bad habits, which can lead not only to poor performance, but more serious injuries.  Another Met, Andres Torres, was rushed back from a calf injury, only to re-injure it on Opening Day.  LHP Tim Byrdak, on the other hand, came back sooner than expected, and has been fine.

Only David knows how healthy he is.  If he’s truly recovered, with luck, this could turn out to be a good, erm, break for the Mets.