The New York Mets may have quietly revealed their plan for Juan Soto just hours before their game against the Minnesota Twins — and it didn’t come through a formal announcement.
Instead, the signal came in a way that immediately raised questions about Soto’s status and how the team intends to use its biggest star moving forward, creating a moment that didn’t go unnoticed for long.
The made a late decision on Soto ahead of their game against the Twins, signaling that the star outfielder will return from his calf injury before facing the Twins Wednesday. The timing, so close to first pitch, only added to the intrigue, as even subtle clues can carry outsized meaning when it comes to a player of Soto’s caliber.
The Mets will activate their $765 million outfielder Wednesday night against Minnesota, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Soto’s comeback ends an absence that has coincided with the worst stretch of baseball the franchise has played since 2002.
Soto landed on the 10-day injured list April 3 with a right calf strain. In the 19 days that followed, the Mets lost 12 consecutive games and fell to 7-15, the worst record in the National League.
Mendoza confirmed Soto’s return Tuesday.
“It’ll be good to have him in the lineup tomorrow,” Mendoza told reporters. The manager said Soto would complete a full day of baseball activity Tuesday, with activation contingent on no setbacks.
Juan Soto’s Return and What the New York Mets Lost Without Him
The offensive collapse during Soto’s absence was dramatic. Before the calf strain, Soto was slashing .355/.412/.516 with an OPS+ of 164, production that ranked among the game’s best, and the Mets were averaging 4.38 runs per game with him in the starting lineup, according to CBS Sports reporter Mike Axisa.
Without him, the Mets have scored just 22 total runs during the 12-game losing streak. That’s 1.83 per game. Nine times in 14 games without Soto, New York scored two runs or fewer. The offense did not merely struggle. It ground to a halt.
Soto carries 702 career RBI across 1,104 career games, roughly .635 runs batted in per game, according to SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes. At that rate, his return alone could increase New York’s per-game run production by more than 33 percent. Despite playing in just eight games this season, Soto still leads all Mets position players in WAR.
New York Mets Face Historically Steep Climb as Soto Returns
The math surrounding New York’s situation is unforgiving. No team in Major League history has lost 12 straight games and made the postseason, Janes reported for SNY. No team has dropped 15 of its first 22 games and gone on to win 90, according to CBS Sports. At 7-15, the Mets have reached both dire thresholds simultaneously.
Mendoza acknowledged Soto’s value while managing expectations carefully.
“It definitely helps, but we cannot put all the pressure on one player,” the manager said, as quoted by CBS Sports. “Yes, his presence in the lineup, nobody is going to deny that. But putting all the pressure of ‘oh, we have Juan Soto now and all of a sudden we’re going to start winning,’ that’s not fair for him either.”
Francisco Lindor echoed that sentiment after Tuesday’s 5-3 defeat to the Twins at Citi Field.
“We can’t wait for Juan to come back and do his thing,” Lindor told SNY. “I hope everybody doesn’t put all the pressure on him. That would be a little unfair. But I know he’s going to help us a ton. He’s a top three-hitter in the league.”
The question Wednesday night against Minnesota is not simply whether Soto can hit. He has obviously proved that. He signed in December 2024 on a record 15-year, $765 million deal after slashing .263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs and 38 stolen bases in 2025, a season that earned him third place in National League MVP voting. His career OPS stands at .948.
The real question, as Lindor put it plainly after Tuesday’s loss, is whether this roster can do the one thing that ends losing streaks. “Winning.”
Did Mets Just Tip Their Hand on Juan Soto’s Status Before Twins Game?