The New York Mets are about to get a major boost for their lineup. New York has been without superstar Juan Soto ever since he departed a game against the San Francisco Giants on April 3. The slugger suffered a calf strain while running the bases at the time. Although the issue was considered minor, he has not been able to play since.
Team officials have opted to play it safe regarding their best player. After all, the season has only just started, and the Mets need a healthy Soto to make a real playoff push. There have also been concerns that rushing back the star could ultimately make matters worse. As previously seen with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, athletes can pick up significant Achilles injuries playing with calf strains.
Nevertheless, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza recently revealed, as reported by CBS Sports, that Soto would soon return to the lineup. More specifically, the star is expected to make his comeback at some point during the team’s upcoming homestand. New York is scheduled to host nine straight games starting on April 21.
New York Post’s Jon Heyman is now reporting that Soto will play against the Minnesota Twins on April 22. This is, of course, assuming that the outfielder does not have any setbacks between now and then. Minnesota has not currently named a starting pitcher for this specific game. It will, however, not be All-Star Joe Ryan. The ace is expected to face the Mets on the following evening.
New York Mets Have Struggled Offensively Without Juan Soto
GettyJuan Soto is widely regarded as the best player on the New York Mets.
Soto’s introduction back into the Mets lineup will be welcomed by everyone associated with the club. Without the star, New York initially collected three consecutive victories. Nevertheless, they have since lost 11 straight games and now have the worst record in the National League. With Soto in the starting lineup, the club is 4-4 so far this season
The Mets have managed to score just 3.27 runs per game throughout the 2026 campaign. This particular figure is the lowest average among all Major League Baseball teams in the year. New York hitters have also combined to record a .288 OBP and a .624 OPS in 2026. Both of these statistics are currently the worst in baseball.
Interestingly enough, Soto currently leads the Mets in OBP (.412) and OPS (.928) among all hitters with at least 15 at-bats. Although New York embarrassingly missed the playoffs in 2025, Soto finished third in the N.L. MVP voting and collected his third consecutive Silver Slugger award.
New York Needs to Quickly Turn Things Around
With Soto on the sidelines, Mendoza has gone with several replacements in left field. Rookie sensation Carson Benge has mostly filled in at the position for the injured star, though. Despite being a top-rated prospect, Benge has started his freshman season very slowly. In fact, he is slashing just .143/.229/.206 through his first 19 games on the campaign. He also currently leads the N.L. with two errors from left field.
New York Mets fans will hope that Soto can help their beloved club get back on track before it is too late. No team has ever lost 12 consecutive games and then successfully made the playoffs within the same season.
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