NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 01: David Wright #5 the New York Mets looks on during a game against the Chicago White Sox 2-1 at Citi Field on June 1, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The White Sox defeated the Mets 2-1 in 13 innings. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The New York Mets haven't had captain David Wright in their lineup since May 27, and they could be without him for a much longer period of time.
According to reports, Wright and the team will decide this week whether surgery is the best option to treat the herniated disc in his neck. If he has the procedure, Wright could miss the rest of the season.
Wright, 33, has played in only 37 games this season (one more than he did last season) and is hitting just .226 with seven homers and 14 RBI.
If the Mets were to lose Wright, they likely would be in the market for a third baseman, even after acquiring infielder Kelly Johnson last week.
"There's no question that going into spring training and into the first part of the regular season, we were hedging the situation at third base -- or attempting to," Mets GM Sandy Alderson said, per the New York Daily News. "And certainly in acquiring somebody like Kelly Johnson, recognizing that we needed to further hedge. The difficulty with finding a full-time replacement is the uncertainty surrounding David."
One intriguing possibility is Yulieski Gourriel, the Cuban who was declared a free agent on Monday. The Mets also could consider moving second baseman Neil Walker or former starting shortstop Wilmer Flores to third.
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