David Wright takes another step forward in spinal stenosis rehab

NEW YORK -- Mets captain David Wright finally has the green light to begin serious baseball work.

Wright, who has been rehabbing from spinal stenosis in Los Angeles, will travel to New York and begin to "engage in baseball activity" with the Mets early next week, general manager Sandy Alderson said.

The 32-year-old Wright has not appeared in a major league game since April 14. He originally landed on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain. But a narrow spinal canal in his lower back caused discomfort and primarily has sidelined Wright since the initial leg injury.

Alderson declined to speculate on a timetable for Wright's return to the Mets, noting that the increased activity could result in a setback. Still, a team official recently suggested to ESPN.com that Wright might need as little as 2 to three weeks to be back in the majors once the baseball activity begins in earnest.

"He's been involved in very limited baseball activity while in California," Alderson said. "If things go as we expect between now and the end of this week, I do expect him back in New York early next week to begin some baseball activity with us."

Alderson had difficulty describing the limited baseball work Wright had started to perform in recent days under the care of back specialist Robert Watkins in Los Angeles.

"It's almost an extension of his rehab in the sense that it may have been a little bit of throwing, it may have been a little bit of swinging to get some rotational activity, but I wouldn't consider it baseball activity in a professional sense," Alderson said.