Juan Soto Returns Wednesday and the Mets Are Banking Everything on Him to Stop the Bleeding
The New York Mets are in freefall. They've lost 11 straight games, and they're throwing everything at the wall hoping something sticks. That something? Juan Soto coming back from a right calf strain he suffered on April 3. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that if Soto gets through a full day of baseball activity, he'll be in the lineup for Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins. The Mets desperately need him.
The Offense Has Been Brutal Without Him
The numbers don't lie. When Soto was in the starting lineup early this season, the Mets averaged 4.38 runs per game. Without him? That dropped to just 2.64 runs per game. In 14 games without Soto, the Mets scored two runs or fewer nine times. That's not just bad. That's historically bad. The Mets started strong, winning their first three games without him, but the last 11 have been a complete disaster. They sit at 7-15, which gives them the worst record in the National League.
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Before he went down, Soto was putting up numbers that reminded everyone why the Mets signed him to that massive 15-year, $756 million contract back in December 2024. He was hitting .355 with a .412 on-base percentage and .516 slugging percentage. Last season, his first with the Mets, the 27-year-old hit .263 with 43 home runs and 38 stolen bases, earning him third place in National League MVP voting. He still leads the Mets' position players in WAR.
But here's the thing. Mendoza made it clear Tuesday that bringing back Soto doesn't automatically fix everything. "It definitely helps, but we cannot put all the pressure on one player," he said. "We've got a lot of good players in there who, unfortunately, are going through it for quite a bit now." The Mets have plenty of underperforming guys scattered throughout the lineup, and that's been part of the problem all along.
On the pitching side, the Mets are also calling up Christian Scott, who's been out since July 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He'll start Thursday, with David Peterson staying in the bullpen. The Mets are betting their season can turn around right now. They'll find out if that bet pays off on Wednesday.
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