Juan Soto Taking Important Step Back From Injury

This is a critical step for Soto as the slugger began participating in other baseball activities, such as batting practice in an indoor cage. Soto's initial timetable for his return was 2-3 weeks, but it remains to be seen whether he'll need a minor league rehab assignment before being activated off the IL.

The 27-year-old suffered his calf injury when he was seen running gingerly around second base during the top of the first inning against the Giants on April 3. Soto exited the game and was replaced by Tyrone Taylor.

Before suffering his injury, Soto was the Mets' hottest hitter, slashing .355/.412/.516 with one homer, four RBI, and two doubles in eight games played.

Mets offensive woes since Soto's absence

To say the Mets have struggled on offense since Soto landed on the shelf would be an understatement. New York has scored one run or zero in five out of their last six games. And after last night's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, in which the Mets failed to score again after a Francisco Lindor leadoff home run in the first inning, the Amazins' have tallied just nine runs during their seven-game slide, six of them coming in one game against the Athletics on last Saturday.

With the Mets currently sitting at 7-11 on the young season and in last place in the NL East, it is certainly a welcoming sign that the Mets are close to getting arguably their best power hitter back in their lineup.

New York may also be dealing with some more injuries to their lineup. Jared Young was scratched from last night's game after manager Carlos Mendoza announced that the outfielder was dealing with knee discomfort, with an IL stint potentially on the table.

Jorge Polanco is also not 100% as he continues to play through an Achilles injury, which very well could be the source of his struggles at the plate. If Polanco continues to struggle, the veteran infielder could also wind up on the IL.

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