PORT ST. LUCIE — If David Wright wants Grapefruit, he will have to eat it for breakfast.
The Mets captain has been working out on a daily basis, but his 2016 Grapefruit League debut won’t come until at least next week, according to manager Terry Collins, as the club attempts to manage the third baseman’s spinal stenosis with caution.
And Collins recently suggested Wright won’t play more than 10-12 exhibition games. On Monday, Wright said that pronouncement was news to him, but he’s in agreement with the club’s conservative approach.
“I’m looking at it on the positive side,” Wright said. “I’m a little late getting into games, but I am getting work in that I normally wouldn’t be able to get in because if I had to start getting ready for the game I wouldn’t be able to take the number of ground balls, the number of swings I have been taking the last couple of weeks.”
Wright faces a daily battle just getting on the field for workouts, continuing the 60-90 minutes of stretching and flexibility drills he implemented into his routine upon returning to the club in August.
The third baseman missed four months of the season rehabbing from the stenosis — a narrowing of his spinal canal. The condition can be treated, but isn’t likely to disappear.
To this point Wright’s spring training has consisted of morning workouts, and if the Mets have a home game he stays at Tradition Field to show support for his teammates.
“I haven’t talked about or seen a number of days, but I knew I was going to be delayed,” Wright said. “I knew I was going to be eased into it and they were going to be cautious with me, so the number of games means very little. If I need at-bats, I can always hop onto the minor league side and get four or five at-bats in 15 minutes.
“As far as the speed of the game, that’s probably something I’m going to concentrate a lot more on the second half of spring.”
Wright’s absence from the lineup has allowed Collins to give Wilmer Flores additional time at third base early in the exhibition season. Flores has spent the last two seasons moving between second base and shortstop.
“With what is going on with David, we’ve got to get [Flores] comfortable over there,” Collins said. “It’s nice to see that he’s getting some work, anyway.”
Wright said he has felt uncomfortable mechanically lately, so he’s spent the last several days working out with infield coach Tim Teufel.
“I’ve gotten some real good work in and I look at that as I wouldn’t be able to do that if I was getting ready for a game because of the repetitions and number of ground balls,” Wright said.
He is also waiting to get the green light to run the bases.
“Before running the bases I have to run in curves and I did that [Sunday],” Wright said. “So bases should be soon and I think that’s the last thing they want to see out of me is running the bases.
“Running is something they have been very cautious about with me. I had to prove I could run straight ahead for awhile and then I had to prove I could cut. Then I had to prove I could kind of plant and zigzag things. Now it’s curves and I think bases are next.”
