David Wright 'concerned' about herniated disk in neck, may hit DL

NEW YORK -- David Wright has a herniation in a disk in his neck, and it seems increasingly possible that the third baseman won't be back in the New York Mets lineup anytime soon.

Wright, who hasn't played since Friday, is scheduled to see a doctor Tuesday morning to determine how well the medication he has already taken is working, and whether any other medication would be of more help.

The Mets haven't made a decision on whether to put Wright on the disabled list, but that could come after Wright sees the doctor Tuesday.

"Yes, I'm concerned about David Wright possibly [going on the disabled list]," manager Terry Collins said Monday morning. "The condition he's been playing in and the condition he's in right now, yeah, I'm concerned about it. I know this guy plays with a lot of discomfort. He always has. When he can't play, he's hurt.

"So yeah, I'm concerned about it."

Wright said he has seen only slight improvement after taking oral anti-inflammatory medication Sunday, but the Mets said that medication normally requires 48 hours to take full effect. As of Monday, Wright said he still had little mobility in the neck.

"I'm hopeful, keeping my fingers crossed, that this medication kicks in a little bit, or that there's something else we can do to kind of expedite the process," Wright said.

Wright said he's not sure what caused the injury, or whether it's connected in any way to the spinal stenosis condition in his back. He has already had an MRI exam.

"I've woken up plenty with a stiff neck from sleeping on it wrong, but this is different," Wright said. "This certainly lingered a little bit longer than a stiff neck does, so you've just got to treat that."

The Mets, already without first baseman Lucas Duda because of a stress fracture in his back, used Wilmer Flores at first base and Ty Kelly at third base Monday against Chicago White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana. They acquired first baseman James Loney from the San Diego Padres; althoughLoney was at Citi Field on Monday, he won't be added to the roster until Tuesday.

Collins said the left-handed-hitting Loney will start Tuesday night against White Sox right-hander Mat Latos. By holding off on activating Loney, the Mets avoided sending out another player who would need to be recalled if Wright goes on the DL.