What the Juan Soto Injury Means For Mets

An MRI revealed that Soto has a minor strain in his right calf, which the outfielder noted felt much better than when he first suffered the injury running the bases on Friday. The Mets are playing it safe with Soto, holding him out of the lineup for the past two days, and he will be re-evaluated in New York on Tuesday.

Since the Mets haven't even reached the 10-game mark yet, it makes perfect sense for them to exercise caution with their superstar outfielder. Calf injuries are notoriously tricky and can accelerate to more serious problems if not treated properly, so a few days of rest makes sense.

Most calf strains resolve after rest and treatment, so the Tuesday deadline will help the Mets decide if Soto needs more time to heal or if he can re-enter the lineup. The DH spot could be an option if the Mets feel like Soto can hit without fielding, otherwise an IL stint would make sense.

How The Mets Will Manage Their Lineup Without Soto

The most an IL stint can be back-dated is three days, so if the Mets feel Soto is not ready on Tuesday they can place him on the injured list retroactive to Saturday. That call would cause Soto to miss just another week of games before returning on the team's next road trip in Los Angeles.

While it is not ideal to be without an MVP candidate for any period of time, the Mets would much rather see Soto miss a week in April then have the injury turn into something that costs him months. The situation could be a blessing in disguise for manager Carlos Mendoza, who can use Soto's rest period to get some of the club's key reserves more at-bats.

Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty could factor more into the outfield equation with Soto out, helping them get into a rhythm as the season ramps up. Mark Vientos also stands to get more at-bats while he is on a heater, which could see him take either the DH slot or first base if Jorge Polanco needs more time there to manage his Achilles tendonitis.

The schedule is also favorable for the Mets coming up as they have two series at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Athletics. They do not necessarily need Soto for those games, so if he is not ready to go the Mets can play things safe with him and ensure he is fully healthy for the bulk of the season.

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