SAN FRANCISCO – Somehow, in what’s best described as an unexpected development, Juan Soto emerged from the MRI tube Saturday and was not placed on the injured list, which meant one of two things.
Either Soto has superhuman healing powers, and the “minor” calf strain — his words — that the scan revealed will patch itself together enough for him to return to the lineup in a few days.
Or the Mets are merely delaying the inevitable, and with Monday’s off-day in New York, plan to re-evaluate his condition with the very likely possibility of then backdating an IL stint.
Both of those options still seemed to be in play when Soto addressed reporters before Saturday’s game against the Giants, though the latter appears to be more realistic. The only rock-solid certainty was that Soto was unavailable that night, which was only 24 hours after suffering the injury. But neither he nor manager Carlos Mendoza would rule out him being a factor — in some fashion — for Sunday’s series finale, as doubtful as that might be, based on conventional wisdom.
“It’s impressive from what we saw in the images, because I feel way better than [Friday],” Soto said. “I definitely feel really good, and to see what came out in the MRI, it was surprising to me.”
Soto went on to say he was “feeling almost completely normal” Saturday morning, which had to be encouraging for the Mets. But they also can’t pretend the calf strain isn’t there, and being extra cautious with their $765 million slugger is a logical approach, particularly when dealing with a calf injury that can lead to more serious complications.
“It’s kind of mixed feelings here, because he’s got that mild strain, right?” Mendoza said Saturday afternoon. “When I saw him earlier, the way he’s walking around, just the attitude in itself, he seems to be in a really good place.
“But that’s a tricky area there. We’re going to have to be really, really careful with him. The good news is how he’s feeling and the feedback that we’re getting from him.”
The safe decision in these situations is to just put the franchise player on the IL for 10 days and let the injury fully heal without the risk of re-aggravation or becoming more severe. That way there’s no second-guessing. For Soto’s part, he sounds confident that he can avoid the IL — but not convinced.
“I’m really positive because I feel really good,” Soto said.
The Mets thought they already were dealing with some adversity during this bumpy start to the 2026 season. But now comes the hard part if — when? — they have to navigate the next 10 days or so minus Soto, the team’s most irreplaceable player. Should the Mets decide to go the IL route, the earliest Soto could return would be April 14 against the Dodgers, the middle game of that three-game showdown in Los Angeles.
On Saturday, Bo Bichette was moved up to Soto’s vacant No. 2 spot in the lineup, with Jorge Polanco — sidelined Friday by his Achilles issue — hitting cleanup as the DH. Jared Young started in leftfield. If Soto winds up on the IL, Mendoza said he would prefer to keep Carson Benge in right and have Brett Baty slide over to left instead.
The fact that Soto was removed so quickly from Friday’s game suggests the Mets will continue to be just as cautious going forward. In the first inning, after Soto’s single extended his hitting streak to all eight games this season — the longest active one in the majors — the problem occurred when he hustled from first base to third on Bichette’s RBI single.
Rounding second base, Soto noticeably slowed up as he headed cautiously into third. He remained in the game, however, and was last seen crossing the plate after being retired on Brett Baty’s 1-2-3 doubly play back to the mound.
The Mets were able to shake off Soto’s stunning departure Friday, thanks to Francisco Alvarez’s two-homer night, Marcus Semien’s three RBIs and Nolan McLean’s five perfect innings. But finding a way to make up for Soto’s missing production on a regular basis would obviously be a Herculean task.
Soto already was off to a quick start, and showed no signs of last season’s April doldrums in hitting .355 (11-for-31) after Friday’s single with a .928 OPS. It was somewhat ironic that Soto injured himself running as he was coming off a career year using his legs, when he stole 38 bases — more than triple his previous season-high total (12).
That added a new dimension to Soto’s generational talent, and helped him earn another third-place finish for MVP, in consecutive years, after doing the same with the Yankees in 2024. But it’s not Soto’s base-stealing acumen that the Mets are worried about.
As the team’s No. 2 hitter, Soto occupies the most critical spot in the Mets’ lineup, where he brings his unique ability as a relentless on-base machine with lethal power. Not only can Soto deliver leadoff man Francisco Lindor with one swing, he’s also perfect to set up Bichette, who was targeted this winter for his high success rate with runners in scoring position.
Even with Soto, the Mets had struggled as a whole offensively, scoring a total of 14 runs in the six games leading up to Friday. Also, they already were down another potent bat when Polanco’s troubling Achilles condition kept him out of the lineup for the second time in four games. If there’s one reason for the Mets to be encouraged, however, it’s the way many of their previously slumping players responded Friday with a season-high 15 hits, including three homers, in the 10-3 rout at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball’s Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.