David Wright goes 0-for-3 in 2018 playing debut with Class A St. Lucie

New York Mets third baseman David Wright admitted to feeling "butterflies" as he played in his first game in almost a year while starting his latest baseball comeback Sunday.

Wright went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in five innings of Class A St. Lucie's 4-1 loss to Clearwater.

"It was good to get out there," Wright told reporters after the game. "Hopefully the results will come, but for now, getting three at-bats, going out playing the field for five innings, seeing some pitches, seeing some really dominant pitching ... it was good to be challenged like that early. I'm all smiles."

Wright hasn't played for the Mets since May 27, 2016, undergoing multiple surgeries on his shoulder, back and neck. Last season's comeback attempt in the minors was cut off on Aug. 26 before additional shoulder and back procedures, and he had another setback in March that forced him to take two months off.

He has been limited to 75 regular-season games since 2015.

Wright said would like to play in a few more games for St. Lucie in the next week but needs to be realistic about the process of making his way back to playing shape.

"What I've kind of come to realize, these last two months of this baseball-rehab stuff, is that I certainly need off days periodically," he said. "We're going to look at that when we start scheduling for the next week or so."

Wright, 35, remains under contract to the Mets through the 2020 season and is owed $27 million over the next two years. He said his goal is still to make it back to the Mets by the end of the season.

"I wouldn't be out here in 95-degree sunny Florida dripping sweat if I didn't think I could make it back," Wright said.