David Wright has nearly 6900 appearances but Friday night stands out among them

David Wright has nearly 6,900 plate appearances with the New York Mets, but his fifth-inning, pinch-hit at-bat Friday night stands out among them for him.

The longtime Mets captain saw his first game action since May 27, 2016, on Friday night when he hit for relief pitcher Paul Sewald against the Miami Marlins and grounded out.

The fans at Citi Field stood and gave Wright thunderous applause when he stepped into the on-deck circle in the fourth inning with the pitcher's spot up next. He returned to the dugout when catcher Kevin Plawecki grounded out.

"The first time on deck, I really felt butterflies that I 'd never felt before," Wright told reporters after the game, an 8-1 victory for the Marlins. "I think I was pretty close to throwing up on deck."

He added: "Everything felt just so new. I've played in a lot of opening days, and I've played in some playoff games and some World Series games, and I never felt the type of nervousness I felt tonight."

The Marlins scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, which must have seemed like it lasted an eternity to Mets fans eager to get another look at their former third baseman. When Wright stepped out of the dugout to start the home half of the fifth, and as he took the short walk to the home plate, the fans roared.

Wright swung at the first pitch from Jose Urena and grounded out to third baseman Brian Anderson, who threw Wright out at first base. The applause and standing ovation continued, and before Wright reached the dugout, he waved to the crowd and tipped his batting helmet.

"The reaction from the crowd. I'll remember that forever," he said.

Saturday's game is expected to be the final one for Wright, 35, who hadn't played in the two-plus years because of multiple surgeries. He suffers from spinal stenosis.

The seven-time All-Star is scheduled to start Saturday and play third base. It is expected he will bat third in the lineup and get two at-bats. After the second one, manager Mickey Callaway likely will send Wright out to the field, then pull him during the inning to allow the fans to express their appreciation to Wright one final time.

Wright is the Mets' all-time leader in a number of offensive categories, including at-bats (5,997), hits (1,777), doubles (390), runs (949), RBIs (970) and walks (761). His 242 home runs are second to Darryl Strawberry's 252.

In a nice gesture, the New York Yankees took out a full-page ad in the New York Post on Friday to celebrate Wright's years with the Mets. He joined the team in 2004 as a 21-year-old.

"New York Yankees congratulate David Wright on a distinguished career," the ad simply stated, the words printed on Yankees pinstripes and followed by the team logo.