Mets injury news: David Wright is on the way back

In early April, the Mets shut down their All-Star third baseman, David Wright, and haven't gotten him back since. He was later diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which is "a narrowing of joint space in either the central canal (where the spinal cord is) or the intervertebral foramina (where nerve roots leave the spinal column). Amazin Avenue has a great recap of what the details are, and how it specifically effects Wright.

It's difficult to know exactly how much it's currently hurting him, or how it will impact him once he returns, but for now, it's simply great news that he's on the way back.

The lineup is posted. Look who's batting 3rd! pic.twitter.com/inDaYqJiU9

— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 10, 2015

He'll occupy the role of the DH for his first game, but if everything goes well, he could be back on the field as early as tomorrow. As for the rest of his rehab, Wright "wants to take around 21 at-bats, the same number of minor league at-bats as he did when rehabbing from his stress fracture in his lower back four years ago".

While he could ultimately decide that he needs more time to get his swing back, by Wright's own timetable, it should take roughly five-to-six games to accrue those 21 at-bats; which means that he could conceivably be back with the Mets for the end of the series against the Pirates.

New York is 6-1 since the trade deadline, and with their offense finally scoring runs for their vaunted pitching staff, they're starting to feel like a playoff team. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard could be the scariest trio of any rotation in a short series, and Steven Matz is reportedly expected to return from the DL in early September. If Wright proves to not only be healthy, but an effective major league hitter, the Mets could be primed for a deep October run.