David Wright has been fighting to get back to the major leagues for more than two years now, and he is finally going to accomplish his goal. Unfortunately, it will be followed by the end of the third baseman’s career.
The New York Mets held a press conference with Wright on Thursday announcing that he will be activated for the team’s final home stand later this month. After he starts against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 29, Wright plans to retire.
Wright seemed to be in good spirits while discussing the latest development.
David Wright jokes: “This kind of caught me off guard. I thought we were announcing an extension today.”
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) September 13, 2018
David Wright says he always wanted to be on the field again so his daughters could see him play. He cried throughout his remarks as he thanked his teammates, coaches and Mets fans.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) September 13, 2018
David Wright: "I like to look at it that I was extremely lucky to have the career that I had, surrounded by the people that I had. … I love the game. I truly do. I love the game. I love it. … I miss it. But as far as regrets go, I can't say that I have regrets."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 13, 2018
Wright has battled neck, back and shoulder injuries since he last played for the Mets in 2016. He continued to rehab in the minor leagues this season and made it clear that he still intended to play at the MLB level, but it never worked out for the 35-year-old.
Once considered one of the best third basemen in baseball, Wright’s career fell off quickly once he started having injury trouble. Depending on what he does in his final game, he will finish with 242 career home runs and a career batting average of somewhere around .296.
