The injuries continue to mount for the New York Mets.
This time it’s superstar left fielder Juan Soto who was removed from Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
Soto fouled a ball off his right ankle in the third inning and was in excruciating pain. After getting checked out by the team trainer, Soto remained in the game. He also took his next at-bat in the sixth inning.
However, Soto was later taken out in the seventh inning when MJ Melendez pinch-hit for him.
This is an alarming development given how banged up the Mets already are. The team put catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day IL earlier today with a meniscus tear in his right knee that will require surgery. They’re also without Francisco Lindor (calf strain), Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disc herniation) and Jorge Polanco (wrist/Achilles bursitis).
The Mets will be hoping that Soto doesn’t have to miss significant time. Soto missed 15 games in April due to a calf strain and the Mets went 3-12 during that span.
The Mets are 16-25 on the season and have a steep hole to climb out of. That being said, they will be unable to do so without a healthy Soto.
Soto is just 4 for his last 36 (.154) at the plate. He is also batting a mere .236 in his last 15 games.
Soto, 27, is slashing .263/.357/.444 with a .801 OPS, four home runs and 11 RBI on the season. These are not Soto-like numbers.
Update:
After the Mets’ 3-2 walk-off win (Carson Benge RBI single in the 10th) in extra innings, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Soto’s X-Rays came back negative. He is listed as day-to-day.
This is promising news for Soto and the Mets as they look to climb their way back to .500. The Mets might be wise to give Soto the day off tomorrow and get him back healthy in a couple of days.
If Soto needs an IL stint it will be his second one of this young season already. This is unlike Soto, who hadn’t been on the IL since the 2021 season back when he played for the Washington Nationals.
What Lies Ahead
The Mets took the series from the Tigers tonight and will aim for a three-game sweep on Thursday.
After their series with the Tigers concludes, the Mets will play the Yankees in the Subway Series this upcoming weekend.
