New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has effectively shut down superstar outfielder Juan Soto from any baseball activity until he recovers from his injury, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with a minor right calf strain.
Soto is expected to miss at least two to three weeks of baseball. Mendoza said that as part of Soto's rehab he would only be focused on treatment and exercises.
Mendoza was quick to add that the organization is playing it safe with Soto as they want to make sure their superstar outfielder can return to action without any pain.
Soto was pulled from the first inning of last Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants after experiencing some form of calf tightness. After attempting to run from first base to third base, Soto appeared to be in some pain.
After Soto ran from third base to home plate, one of the Mets coaching staff noticed something was immediately wrong with Soto, which led to the outfielder being pulled from the game. An MRI later revealed the full extent of the injury, leaving the Mets no choice but to put Soto on the injured list.
Prior to the right calf strain injury, Soto's performance this season had been strong. The 27-year-old outfielder posted a .355 batting average, .412 on-base percentage, .928 OPS, one home run and five RBIs through his first eight games.
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The Mets are in the midst of winning streak, having won their last three games and currently sitting second in the National League East. Despite the good positioning they have in the standings, New York shares the same record as the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies, who sit in first and third respectively.
Soto and the Mets look to move the needle this season after a strong start in last year's season led to one of the most disappointing crash-out in the organization's history. The club went from playoff contenders to missing out on the playoffs entirely in 2025 after struggling during the second half of the season.
The Mets adding Soto to the team at the end of 2024 continues to look promising, but the Mets need to figure out how to connect the dots during the regular season. The Mets will look to make their postseason dream a reality just as they did in 2024 when they made it all the way to the NLCS.
Soto signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets at the end of the 2024 season. Just a few months before, Soto and the New York Yankees failed to win the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
