Mets' Juan Soto lands on injured list with calf strain

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Apr 6, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — The New York Mets are going to be without Juan Soto for a little while.

The star slugger landed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right calf strain. Soto left Friday’s 10-3 win in San Francisco after experiencing tightness while running the bases.

The Mets said an injury like Soto’s typically carries a recovery time of two to three weeks.

“I’ve experienced calf tightness before,” Soto said Saturday after an MRI revealed a minor strain. “This definitely is not the worst I’ve felt. So I feel positive with where we’re at right now.”

Soto said the injury occurred as he rounded second base and ran to third on a Bo Bichette first-inning single at Oracle Park.

The 27-year-old Soto stayed in the game for the remainder of the half-inning, then was replaced in left field by Tyrone Taylor to begin the bottom of the first.

“Right now, we’re just gonna get treatment,” Soto said Saturday. “We’re gonna test it, definitely, with the trainers in the training room. I don’t think we’re going to run or anything like that, but we’re going to see how much strength I have and how much I can push off it.”

The injury interrupts a hot start to the season by Soto, who is batting .355 (11 for 31) with a home run, five RBI and a .928 OPS through eight games.

To fill Soto’s roster spot, the Mets called up infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse.

Jared Young started in left field in Saturday and Sunday’s games in San Francisco. Brett Baty, who was scratched Sunday with a sore thumb, can also play left.

“It’s kind of mixed feelings here, because he’s got that mild strain,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday of Soto.

“Surprisingly, when I saw him earlier, the way he’s walking around and just the attitude itself, like, he seems to be in a really good place. But again, that’s a tricky area. We’re going to have to be really, really careful with him.”

This is Soto’s first trip to the IL since 2021, when a strained left shoulder kept him out for about two weeks.

The durable Soto has played in at least 150 games every year since 2019, not including the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. He appeared in 160 games last year.

Soto batted .263 with 43 home runs, 105 RBI, a .921 OPS and 38 stolen bases last season, his first in a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.

The Mets (6-4) are set to begin a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Tuesday.

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