Mets Should Take The High Road and Sit Wright

New York Mets third baseman David Wright is eligible to return from the disabled list Tuesday when the Mets open a three-game series in Colorado.  However, the Mets, who currently have nearly $100 million in salary convalescing on the disabled list, would be much better served to shut down their superstar infielder for the rest of the season.

It may sound like a rash decision, but for anybody who saw the incident that caused Wright’s injury, it seems unfathomable that he’s ready to return to a team that is playing out a string of meaningless games.

What purpose does his return serve as the team continues fading into offseason obscurity?  Seventeen and a half games out with 31 games left, the only thing left is for an undertaker to drive the final nail into the coffin of the 2009 Mets.

Wright is the Mets’ second-most valuable asset behind Johan Santana, who’s already sitting out the rest of the season with elbow issues.  He’s more important than Beltran who, believe it or not, turns 33 next April.  He’s even more valuable than Jose Reyes, who has been on the DL since May, and whose speed may be greatly compromised the rest of his career because of his hamstring condition.

The pitch that plunked Wright in the noggin and sent him crashing to the ground was scary enough.  Even scarier might be what is listed as his affliction—“post-concussion syndrome.”  That term should be enough to give immense pause to anybody in the Mets' organization pushing for Wright to suit up tomorrow in Denver. 

A concussion is an injury that takes long enough to heal and is seemingly exponentially compounded when a player returns too quickly.  The list of players who’ve had their careers impacted by a concussion is long and continues to grow. 

For a recent refresher course, the Mets need not look any further than Ryan Church, circa 2008.  After a hot start, the outfielder suffered a concussion.  After a trip to the disabled list, he was apparently rushed back to the field before he was totally healed (although the story differs depending on whom you ask). He suffered a setback and spent another stint on the disabled list and never regained his early season form.

Regardless of who was right or wrong in the Ryan Church situation, it proves one thing: concussions are an injury that require extreme care. 

Instead of rushing Wright back to the lineup two weeks after the injury, the Mets should be looking ahead to 2010 and beyond.  He remains a part of the nucleus of the team. If the organization has any designs to contend for the NL East crown next season, a healthy David Wright is essential to those plans.