Murphy nearing return; Wright's status TBD

NEW YORK -- While Daniel Murphy continues to progress in his rehab from a strained left quad, David Wright's situation remains "murky," according to general manager Sandy Alderson.

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Murphy could return to the Mets as soon as Sunday, depending on how he recovers from his second straight Minor League rehab game on Friday. At worst, Murphy will be back in New York early next week, likely prompting the Mets to turn to a new infield alignment: Murphy at third base, Wilmer Flores at second and Ruben Tejada at shortstop.

"Right now, everything turns on Murphy," Alderson said. "This is a guy we'd like to have now. He needs to be ready. He needs to be able to run full-out. But it's a day-to-day proposition."

The same is not true for Wright, who continues to meet with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on a weekly basis in California. Alderson said he has no imminent expectation for Watkins to clear Wright for baseball activities, casting continued doubt over the third baseman's status.

• Catcher Travis d'Arnaud returned to the clubhouse on Friday for the first time since landing on the disabled list with a sprained left elbow. His joint wrapped heavily in a mechanical cast, d'Arnaud said he has no timeline for a return, but is nonetheless thrilled to have avoided something worse.

"When it happened, I thought my arm was dangling loosely like it just shattered," d'Arnaud said. "So definitely relieved."