The injuries just don't seem to stop for the New York Mets in what has been a disastrous 2026 season.
The latest injured player on the roster is their most important hitter in Juan Soto who left Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs with what the Mets are calling left side back tightness.
It's unknown if Soto is headed for imaging on his back. In the meantime, the Mets will be holding their breath that Soto's injury isn't something serious that will keep him out for an extended period of time.
Soto missed 15 games earlier in the season with a calf strain. The Mets went 3-12 in his absence and lost 12 games in a row without him.
Despite the fan voting saying otherwise, Soto has put up another All-Star worthy campaign. In 61 games, Soto is slashing .299/.395/.570 with a .965 OPS, 17 home runs and 38 RBI. These are elite numbers as Soto is once again among the league's best bats.
The only knock on Soto's season is that after nearly going 40-40 (43 homers, 38 steals) in 2025, he only has six stolen bases as of this date. But part of that can be attested to the Mets losing first base coach and baserunning guru Antoan Richardson to the NL East rival Atlanta Braves.
Losing Soto would be crushing for the Mets and even worse timing with shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf strain) being on the cusp of returning to the team after missing over two months of action. Soto and Lindor, the Mets' two best players, have only played a total of 12 games together this season.
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Beyond the calf and left side back tightness, Soto has been dealing with a nagging hand/wrist injury this year that he has been able to play through. However, he has been seen favoring the hand/wrist at times after swinging in an at-bat.
It seems unlikely that the last place Mets will turn their season around. If the 7-2 score holds tonight, the Mets will fall to 10 games under .500. Climbing back into the standings will be nearly impossible if they lose Soto for a significant period of time.
