Mets put Juan Soto on the 10-day injured list; will that break their stride?
Mets' Juan Soto slides into home plate to score on an RBI double by Bo Bichette during the first inning against the Giants on Thursday in San Francisco. Credit: AP/Tony Avelar
The percentage chance of Juan Soto avoiding the injured list was pretty much zero once the slugger himself admitted that Saturday’s MRI showed a “minor” strain of his right calf. So it was hardly shocking Monday when the Mets announced their $765 million star indeed was going on the IL.
The surprising part? The team pinned the timeline for Soto’s return at 2-3 weeks, and while that’s a fair estimation for this degree of calf injury, it does carry him beyond the minimum 10-day IL stay, which Soto’s early optimism suggested might be a possibility.
Still, you could see the cracks in Carlos Mendoza’s poker face when he spoke publicly about Soto’s condition, mentioning the “tricky” nature of calf problems. And to roll the dice for maybe a few extra days of Soto at the risk of a much longer absence would be severe malpractice on the Mets’ part.
Now here’s the dilemma. According to the team’s prognosis, and backdating Soto’s IL stint to April 4, that means the Mets definitely won’t have him for next week’s three-game series against the Dodgers in L.A. and probably the entirety of the following series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Beyond that, it’s the Twins and Rockies, both at Citi, so if Soto needs some extra time on the back end, no biggie.
The good news is that it’s only April, and from what we saw over the weekend in San Francisco, having this chance to audition some of the understudies as Soto heals up could benefit the Mets further down the line. Soto played 160 games last season in his Flushing debut, so they never had to go any extended period without him.
Losing him for any time isn’t ideal, of course. There’s no replacing Soto, who’s the explosive trigger for the Mets’ lineup, sandwiched between Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette. But the Soto-less roster did show some encouraging signs in winning three straight over the Giants, along with an overall tenacity that led to Sunday’s impressive 5-2 comeback victory at Oracle Park.
First, the numbers. After Soto exited Friday’s game in the first inning, the Mets scored a total of 21 runs over the next 26 innings, including 36 hits (they batted .324 during that stretch). The Mets also followed up a dismal 1-for-32 dive with runners in scoring position by ending the weekend on a 15-for-35 tear (.429) in those situations with Soto watching from the bench.
“I think it’s great,” said Jared Young, who made two key defensive plays in leftfield Sunday and delivered three hits. “Winning games always breeds good culture and camaraderie.”
How could Young not love the opportunity? He wasn’t even supposed to be on the team until Mike Tauchman blew out his knee in spring training — or in Sunday’s lineup before Brett Baty wound up being a late scratch due to a jammed thumb.
Baty indicated after Sunday’s game that he should be good for Tuesday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, and going forward, expect to see him get more time in leftfield thanks to Mark Vientos’ sudden resurgence at first base — both at the plate and with the glove.
Vientos’ power bat is pivotal in covering for the missing Soto, and it looks like the real Swaggy V — circa second-half 2024 — has entered the building. He’s currently the Mets’ most dangerous hitter, batting .500 (9-for-18) with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs and a 1.328 OPS over his last five games.
“I feel like myself,” Vientos said.
Not only that, Vientos is much improved defensively over at first base, where he made a handful of superb plays during the Giants series, displaying greater range and just being smoother overall. With Jorge Polanco’s Achilles issues — his left ankle is wrapped in a huge ice pack after games — Vientos should be considered the regular first baseman, until he needs the occasional DH breather.
On the subject of corner-infield production, Bichette now appears up to speed after his much-discussed, first-year Mets adjustment. Since leaving Citi, Bichette went 8-for-27 (.296) with two doubles and five RBIs in the first six games of the road trip (before Sunday’s 0-for-5 cool-down). Being back in front of the Flushing fans again will be the next test, but at least now he’s got some Mets success to build on.
While the bench really had a chance to shine in taking three straight from the Giants, including huge pinch hits by Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens, the Mets are going to need Lindor to step up in Soto’s void. There’s already been plenty of speculation about their cool relationship, so here’s Lindor’s shot to grab the spotlight again, and the typically slow starter is certainly due after batting just .135 (5-for-37) to open the season.
The other key to surviving Soto being on the shelf? It’s David Stearns’ favorite — run prevention — and the pitching staff has been up to the task so far. The Mets’ overall 2.53 ERA ranks third in the majors, behind only Atlanta (1.82) and the Yankees (2.35). They haven’t faced any offensive powerhouses yet, but in two turns through the rotation, the starting five has been solid — aside from David Peterson’s five-run blip in Thursday’s loss — with dominance by Clay Holmes (1.42 ERA) and the renewed confidence of Kodai Senga (16 Ks, 11 2/3 IP).
“That’s been a huge part,” Mendoza said Sunday after beating the Giants three straight. “When you get starting pitching, when you get the offense clicking the way they’re doing it, you’re going to have series like this.”
The Mets are now going to have a few more series without Soto. Duplicating that success only gets harder from here, too.
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.
