Wright diagnosed with herniated disk in neck

New York Mets third baseman David Wright could be heading for a stint on the disabled list with a neck injury.

The 33-year-old told Mike Puma of the New York Post his neck ailment is a herniated disk and he will know more about his future tomorrow.

Wright is expected to see a doctor on Tuesday to get a better idea of what he’s dealing with and a potential timeline for his return to the field.

The slugger, whose been having difficulty turning his head from side-to-side, is hoping medicine will reduce the pain, although the issue may require more care.

“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 told reporters.

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

Wright’s condition, which is separate from his already troublesome back, is concerning to manager Terry Collins, who thinks the third baseman may land on the disabled list.

”With the condition he’s been playing in and the condition he’s in right now, yeah, I’m concerned about it,” Collins said Monday. ”Is it going to happen? I can’t tell you. I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I know this guy plays with a lot of discomfort. He always has. And when he can’t play, he’s hurt.”

Wright appeared in just 38 regular-season games in 2015 after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis, but managed to return to play 14 games in the postseason.

He’s currently hitting .226/.350/.438 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs, but hasn’t played in a game since May 27.

Report: Wild’s Parise questionable due to ‘disabling back pain’

The Minnesota Wild appear set to take on the Dallas Stars without their leading goal scorer.

Forward Zach Parise reportedly visited a specialist Monday after aggravating a back injury that’s affected him since January, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.

Russo continues:

Parise was diagnosed with a herniated disk that was pressing on a nerve in January. He played through the injury while getting treatment and cortisone injections. But since being tripped last week (April 5) by Sharks center Logan Couture, Parise has experienced tingling in his legs, foot numbness, and disabling back pain, sources say.

“This is an extraordinary loss for us,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said. “The only way to look at it is, like any time, it’s going to be an opportunity for somebody else to step up and play a huge role, and play a role in winning the series.

“But you’re just not replacing Zach. Somebody like that, when he’s in the lineup, he’s awesome, and when he’s not, you certainly feel it. It’s sports. That’s the way it is.”

General manager Chuck Fletcher declined to comment on the situation, and Parise is officially listed as day to day with an undisclosed injury.

The 31-year-old scored 25 goals in 70 games for the Wild, with only Charlie Coyle(21) and Nino Niederreiter (20) able to hit the 20-goal mark.

Minnesota’s playoff campaign begins Thursday in Dallas.

Report: Packers’ Sean Richardson suffers potential career-ending neck injury

Green Bay Packers safety Sean Richardson has suffered a career-threatening neck injury, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Silverstein reports that Richardson has suffered a herniated disk in his neck, an injury similar to the one he suffered back in 2012.

Richardson was able to return from that injury after fusion surgery, but with this second herniation reportedly directly below the fusion, his career could be over.

It is not yet known how or when Richardson suffered the injury.

Packers fans will understand the severity of neck injuries of this kind, after former Packers players Jermichael Finley and Nick Collins both were unable to return from their respective fusion surgeries.

The safety was officially ruled out for Sunday on the team’s injury report.

Steve Kerr taking leave of absence from Warriors following back surgery

The defending champion Golden State Warriors will be without their head coach for an indeterminate period, as Steve Kerr has opted to take a leave of absence to rest and recover from back surgery.

Kerr went under the knife in late July to repair a herniated disc, and required follow-up surgery in early September. The Warriors are unsure when Kerr will return, and say the length of his absence will be based on his recovery progress.

“At this point, the most important thing is to make sure Steve is healthy, completely recovered and ready for not only the rigors of a long NBA season, but day-to-day life in general,” said Warriors general manager Bob Myers. “We don’t anticipate the recovery process will be long term, but as of today we don’t know the exact timeframe. We’ll evaluate his progress daily and provide updates as necessary.”

Myers reportedly added that he’s unsure at this point whether Kerr will be back for opening night. For the time being, assistant coach Luke Walton will replace him on an interim basis.

In his first season as an NBA head coach, Kerr guided the Warriors to a franchise-best 67-15 record (also the best record ever for a rookie coach) and helped them snap a 40-year championship drought.

But as the Warriors entered camp ready to kick off their title defense in earnest, he realized he wasn’t in the right physical or mental space.

“After the first two days of training camp, I realized I need to take a step back and focus on my rehabilitation in order to be ready for the grind of another NBA season,” Kerr said. “As I noted last week, my summer was difficult and no fun due to the multiple back surgeries. At this point, I simply want to get healthy and back to my normal daily routine on and off the court.”

Golden State opens the regular season at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 27.