Mets 3B David Wright activated from disabled list

Sep 20, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Mets third baseman David Wright (5) celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s been a long time since the New York Mets had their best player on the field, but on Friday, he returned in full force.

The Mets activated third baseman David Wright from the disabled list, where he had been since injuring his hamstring on August 2nd, and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup in his familiar #3 spot in the batting order. For good measure, Wright homered in his first at-bat (no, really, he did) and while it wasn’t a complete shock to see him in the lineup, it was fantastic for any Mets fan to see him blast off in his first appearance in the batter’s box.

It’s been a fantastic season for Wright, even if the Mets have struggled to a 68-84 record (as of this post), and that should come as no surprise. Wright has a .309/.391/.512 slash line with 16 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 465 plate appearances this season, and with that stellar production comes a 5.7 WAR (wins above replacement) season according to FanGraphs. To put those numbers in perspective, Wright would still be ranked 13th in all of Major League Baseball in WAR despite missing 45 games with the hamstring trouble.

Looking forward to 2014, the Mets desperately need Wright to be their anchor in a less-than-stellar lineup, and this is a great sign. The goal for the final week-plus of 2013 should be to simply get Wright some legitimate at-bats, and keep him healthy.

Welcome back, Mr. Wright.

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