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NEW YORK -- New York Mets third baseman David Wright appears resigned to missing the remainder of this season, although he predicted his career is not over. Dalvin Tomlinson Womens Jersey .Im going to be out for an extended period of time. ... But I plan on coming back and being the player that I feel like Im capable of being. We shall see, Wright said Friday at Citi Field, in his first public comments since undergoing surgery June 16 to repair what Wright said was a significant disk rupture in his neck.Wright, 33, acknowledged he will lose about 5 percent of the range of motion in his neck because he required fusion in addition to a discectomy.Dr. Robert Watkins, who has also treated Wright for spinal stenosis in his lower back, spoke with urgency in advocating surgery to address the disk issue, Wright said. The only question was what type of procedure to undergo.Watkins removed the damaged disk and fragments that were putting pressure on Wrights spinal cord. Doctors were concerned those fragments could cause bruising or permanent damage if not treated swiftly with surgery.The surgery was performed through Wrights throat, with the fusion process aided by bone marrow extracted from Wrights hip. Screws and a plate were inserted.I hope that this is correct, but when this heals, it should be as good as new, Wright said.Wright noted the fusion will put more pressure on other disks. Still, Watkins believes those disks are fairly healthy and should be able to handle the extra load, Wright said.Wright still is dealing with residual pain and soreness from the surgery, although it has lessened in the past week. He is due to stop using pain medications next week.Wright said a bigger concern than the residual pain is losing his balance or someone accidentally bumping him, because any jolt can have serious repercussions. Because he would be defenseless in the dugout, Wright began watching Mets home games from the bullpen Thursday.Wright is required to wear a neck brace when he is around people and while riding in a car. He started putting his socks and shoes on and taking walks this week, which he deemed progress.He has an appointment scheduled for three months after the surgery to determine the progress of the fusion. And because no real activity will take place in the interim, it precludes returning this season.You can do the math, Wright said. The next three months, its really not doing anything. Its letting the bones fuse together.Wright stressed that his primary focus, for now, is getting healthy to avoid having any post-baseball issues with his neck. He already will have enough to deal with since the spinal stenosis in his lower back is chronic.This is, for me, in my mind, beyond something that can be rushed to try to get back on the baseball field, Wright said. The sense of urgency for this in the doctors voice was much greater than the sense of urgency when I talked to him about my back last year.I love the game of baseball. I cant wait to get back out there. But the most important thing for me now is my health and trying to get my neck healed, because if I go and do something that Im not supposed to, were not talking about baseball. Were talking about something thats going to affect me later in life.Wright acknowledged that his lower-back issue will complicate the process of preparing for games once he gets back on the field.It took me a little longer to get ready for spring training this year because of the back, Wright said. Now that Im immobile for the foreseeable future, itll be interesting to see how my back responds to that. And I think it will be interesting to see what it takes to get my back where it was while I was playing.Wright said he had no hard feelings that the Mets worked out free-agent Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gourriel last week. If the Mets sign Gourriel, it could mean third base wont be available once Wright returns, because Gourriel would require a multi-year contract.Theyve got to do what it takes to get this team better and back to the playoffs, Wright said. Im no good on the field right now.Wright is signed through 2020, although insurance should soon begin covering 75 percent of his salary for the time he misses.Within days, Jose Reyes should be promoted from Double-A Binghamton and man third base for the Mets.Asked for his reaction to Reyes reunion with the organization, Wright said, I love it. Hes a very good friend of mine.While Wright predicted that Reyes energy would have a positive impact on the Mets, Wright was also highly critical of Reyes Oct. 31 domestic-violence incident.I feel like what he did was awful, terrible, Wright said. Theres just no other way around it. With that being said, in my eyes, hes done what he could do to earn a second chance. If hes going to be given a second chance, I think this is a good place for it. I think hes comfortable here. This is home for him. I cant say it enough: What he did is something that is horrible and should never be done. So I hope that hes learned his lesson. In everything he said, it seems like hes acknowledged the great mistake that it was and that hes not going to let it happen again, and I hope thats correct.As for Wrights health issues, he said he had no regrets.At some point, your body, I would say, gives way, Wright said. I think its just natural, especially when you play since I was 4 or 5 years old. Of course, theres wear and tear in my body.If you told me, yeah, youd have to have a neck surgery, youd have some back issues, hell, Id do it all over again because I enjoy what I do. And I plan on continuing to enjoy what I do. Evan Engram Giants Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Dexter Lawrence Youth Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. http:///...-Jersey.html?cat=863 . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Not a single South African player knows what it is to lose a Test series in Australia. Not a single Australian player knows what it is to win a home series against South Africa. For a pair of transitional teams, that is a significant fact.Add to it another: Australia have been clean swept in their most recent Test series in Sri Lanka, then swept again - by the Proteas no less - in an ODI series in South Africa. Throw in a pair of underdone Australian pacemen, a porous middle order and a fielding side far less formidable than many who went before them, and the picture is clear: this is not going to be easy for the hosts.South Africa, of course, are not the side they were. For the first time in more than a decade they are not being led to Australia by the commanding figure of Graeme Smith. AB de Villiers isnt here, and Morne Morkel is not yet 100% fit. But there is a sense of regeneration about the side, of setting new goals and forming a new identity. In junior years Faf du Plessis was often captain of the same teams de Villiers played in. Having gained his chance through injury, du Plessis, first seen by Australians with his serenely dead bat in Adelaide four years ago, now looks a natural leader.For Steven Smith, this is the series in which he faces a first major test at home. Well as he and his teams have performed against India, New Zealand and the West Indies, those sides boasted not a single series win down under between them over the past 23 years. South Africas methods are suited to Australia, much as the reverse is true on the other side of the Indian Ocean. Smith has taken solace in a wider record of home success - unbeaten since the Proteas last visit in 2012.Traditionally we have played well at home and its about us knowing what we do well here, he said. We have scored big first innings runs and that is going to be crucial for us this year again.Bowling aggressively to the tail, not being afraid to get it up there and intimidate them a little bit. To the top order consistently bowl good areas and challenge them on wickets that traditionally bounce a bit more than they are used to. It is important for us to do that this summer.Obviously we havent come off the back of much great cricket, South Africa was disappointing and Sri Lanka was as well, thats gone, weve left that behind and we are focusing on what we have can control now and that is this summer.Much talk has centred upon the mental battle, whether it be Dale Steyns familiar refrain about cutting the head off the snake in reference to Smith, or David Warner hoping to see the visitors pacemen losing their collective rag with a flurry of short balls at the WACA Ground. Smith has reiterated his desire to see his men strut around the middle like they own the place, not retreating into themselves as happened in Sri Lanka.Its about making sure that each individual can get the best out of themselves and have a presence about them, Smith said. Everyone does it differently, for someone it might be about getting into a verbal contest with a bowler to get themselves going. Or with a batter as a bowler.For me I donnt like to say a great deal its more about making sure that my body language is right and Im puffing my chest out and looking like Im out there and I own the place. Phil Simms Jersey. Its about each individual knowing what gets them going, and when they do that its going to be best for the team as well.For well over a decade, that approach tended to unnerve the South Africans in Australia. Both sides knew who had the edge when matches reached their pointy end, and it was the team of Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. But du Plessis leads a generation unfamiliar with that kind of mental block: as uncomfortable as the Australians will try to make things for the visitors, they will know how to push back effectively. We are a team that respects the opposition, no matter where we go in the world, du Plessis said. If its gets to a tough stage in the game, which is what Test cricket is all about, and it gets a bit loud out there in the middle, its just about soaking it in and understanding that you have to work your way to get the momentum on your side again.Thats Test cricket, thats normal for me. I think thats more the thing people forget to focus on, that Test cricket is like that. Its up and down. Then you are on top, then you are under pressure and you just got to soak it up and ride the wave until it gets on your side to put some pressure on the opposition.But the most pivotal factor in this series, and its opening match at the WACA, will be Mitchell Starc. Starc knows it, South Africa know it and Australia most certainly know it. Still nursing a deep cut to the left leg from a training mishap, Starc will push through some discomfort to try to be near his best and fastest. Smith said he will likely be using his most explosive asset in short bursts a la Mitchell Johnson.Id say there is a good chance of that, Smith said. He has traditionally done pretty well here at the WACA, I thought he bowled beautifully last year on a slow benign wicket, I would prefer this one to have some more pace and bounce to assist him out there.The Proteas are braced for impact, knowing that the ability to see out his spells will more than likely tell the tale. He is a fantastic bowler, du Plessis said. A guy that swings the ball and bowls quick, any captain would say thats something they would want in their team. Its important for us to make sure he doesnt get his tail up and doesnt get wickets. That would mean we put a big threat for Australia aside.Its important how we play him. If were going to win this series its going to be how well weve played him in those short bursts. Hes a wicket-taker so he needs to come on and get wickets. We as a team understand that. We need to make sure we get through those periods.Happy history down under should make a difference to the Proteas, and recent failures will trouble Australia. It remains to be seen how much all that will matter in the fraction of a second it takes for Starcs missiles to reach the other end of the pitch. ' ' '