Juan Soto is out of the Mets lineup for at least the next couple of weeks after New York placed its new franchise centerpiece on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right calf strain. The timing is brutal for the Mets, who are just heading back to Citi Field for a homestand and now have to do it without the most dangerous bat in their order.
Soto hurt the calf Friday night in San Francisco while running the bases, straining it as he went from first to third in the first inning. He was later forced out at home on the same play and removed from the game. An MRI on Saturday confirmed a minor right calf strain, and Soto said the pain felt similar to a left-calf issue he dealt with in July 2022, according to The Washington Post.
Roster ripple and who fills in
To patch the roster, the Mets recalled infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move on Monday, per RotoWire. It is a depth move more than a direct replacement, which means the outfield will likely be a rotating puzzle for a while.
Jared Young drew the first crack at filling in, starting in left field over the weekend. The club can also lean on Tyrone Taylor or Brett Baty for spot starts while Soto rehabs, giving manager Carlos Mendoza a mix-and-match situation instead of the everyday thunder Soto normally provides, as noted by ABC7 New York.
What it means for the Mets' offense
Soto wasted no time showing Queens what the hype was about. He opened his Mets tenure with 11 hits in 34 at-bats and a .928 OPS through eight games, picking up right where he left off after a 43-homer, 38-steal season that produced a .921 OPS last year. That kind of middle-of-the-order presence is not something you just replace with a waiver claim.
The club said the typical recovery window for this type of calf strain is about two to three weeks and officially placed Soto on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Saturday, according to ESPN. In other words, the Mets are hoping this is a short-term headache, not a season-defining problem.
Looking ahead
The Mets are off Monday before starting a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Tuesday. Because of expected cold and windy conditions, the club moved first pitches up for Tuesday and Wednesday, as reported by ABC7 New York.
For now, the plan is to let Soto rest, rehab and be re-evaluated periodically. The Mets will be watching every step he takes, literally, hoping their new star's calf scare stays in the "minor setback" category.
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