Juan Soto's Right Calf Strain Could Derail the Mets' Hot Start
The New York Mets got some surprisingly good news on Saturday after a scary moment the night before: Juan Soto's MRI revealed only a minor right calf strain, not the kind of damage that could sideline him for weeks. But here's the thing, here's what matters for a team that's been rolling early, Soto has to be handled with care, and the Mets aren't ruling out the injured list yet.
How It Happened
Soto got hurt Friday night in San Francisco while trying to advance from first to third during the Mets' 10-3 win over the Giants. The injury happened in the moment, but the real test came Saturday when the MRI results came back. Both Soto and manager Carlos Mendoza expected worse. The imaging showed restraint, which honestly, is the best news New York could've gotten in this situation.
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"Right now, it's a minor strain," Soto said at Oracle Park on Saturday. "We're going to be going day by day, see how it feels. No decisions have been made yet. We're going to see how I wake up the next couple of days and go from there. It's impressive what we saw on the imaging because I feel way better than yesterday. I definitely feel really good, and to see what came out on the MRI, it was surprising for me."
Mendoza saw him moving around the clubhouse before Saturday's game and liked what he saw. "He's got that mild strain, but surprisingly, when I saw him earlier, the way he's walking around, just the attitude itself, he seems to be in a really good place," Mendoza said. "That's a tricky area. We're going to have to be really, really careful with him. The good news is how he's feeling and the feedback we're getting from him."
What's at Stake
Soto is in his second year of a 15-year, $765 million deal, and he's been exactly what the Mets signed up for early on. In eight games this season, he's hitting .355 with a home run and five RBIs. Losing him to the injured list would sting. The Mets are hoping to avoid putting him on it, but they're taking a wait-and-see approach. The next couple of days will tell the story.
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