The New York Mets will be holding their breath over the next day or so, awaiting the severity of Juan Soto’s calf injury.
In Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, Soto was removed from the contest with ‘right calf tightness’, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed on Saturday that Juan Soto will go for an MRI on Saturday to determine the extent of the injury. Before the Mets-Giants game on Saturday, Soto’s MRI revealed a ‘minor strain’ in his calf, and he is now day-to-day.
It appeared that Soto tweaked the calf running from first to third on a base hit by Bo Bichette, but the pain was clearly enough that Soto could not continue. This is a big storyline out of Queens.
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Mets Can’t Afford Juan Soto Being Sidelined for Long
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 27: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets reacts in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros on Opening Day at Daikin Park on March 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
It goes without saying, but the Mets can’t afford Juan Soto to be out of the lineup for an extended period of time, especially past this weekend. The team has an off day on Monday, so the final decision about Soto could be made then.
In the eight games he’s played in this season, Soto has one home run, two doubles, a .355 average, five RBI, and 11 hits.
Soto’s offensive prowess has been the bright spot for the Mets early in this campaign, as other stars have yet to get going. Well, if Soto’s calf injury requires an IL stint, those other contributors will have to get going sooner rather than later. Soto is in the second year of his monster $765 million deal.
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Who Takes Soto’s Spot If He Has to Miss Time?
MLBTradeRumors.com’s Mark Polishuk was quick to this news and broke down who could fill in for Soto:
“Needless to say, losing Soto for any amount of time would be a rough break for the Mets’ lineup. Brett Baty would likely get the bulk of playing time in left field if Soto is sidelined, with Taylor providing some platoon cover apart from his usual fourth-outfielder duties. Jorge Polanco has been limited mostly to DH duty due to his bothersome left Achilles, so Mark Vientos (who is also off to a hot start in limited playing time) would see more action at first base if Baty is needed more regularly in left field.”
Another option the Mets could explore is a potential trade for a depth outfielder, or calling up another youngster to get some at-bats in Soto’s absence.
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Mets Get Juan Soto Decision For Giants Game After Calf Injury