Mets' Wright to be limited to 130 games

The New York Mets will be closely monitoring the innings thrown by their young starting pitching staff in 2016, but the longest-serving player on the club will also be getting a breather now and then.

New York is expecting third baseman David Wright to appear in a maximum of 130 games this year, according to general manager Sandy Alderson.

"We're gonna make sure that he's not overworked," Alderson told the New York Post's Steve Serby. "So it's important for us to find somebody who can play 30 games or so at third base when he's not in there. But I think we have to be realistic, and not expect that he's gonna be an absolute everyday (player) out there playing 150 or 155 games. That's not gonna happen."

Wright's spinal stenosis condition limited him to just 38 games last season. He slashed a respectable .289/.379/.492 with five homers and 17 RBIs in those contests, but his numbers dropped considerably in the postseason when the Mets captain hit .198/.311/.319 in 24 games.

New additions Neil Walker or Asdrubal Cabrera are likely candidates to shift over to the hot corner in Wright's absence. Wilmer Flores also has big-league experience at third base.