Juan Soto was removed from Wednesday night’s game after fouling a ball off his right foot in the third inning, the report says. Soto initially tried to walk it off but went to the ground in pain, prompting a visit from manager Carlos Mendoza and an athletic trainer, per the report.
The report says Soto remained in the game following the incident, limped into the batter’s box and struck out in that plate appearance. He reached base again in the sixth inning with a groundout to the pitcher, but MJ Melendez pinch-hit for the Mets’ designated hitter in the seventh inning with runners on the corners and two outs, according to the report.
Per the report, Soto has already missed more than two weeks on the injured list this season with a right calf strain. The report says he has split time between left field and designated hitter since his return April 22 and initially dealt with left forearm tightness upon returning.
The report adds offensive context, noting Soto is batting .263 with four home runs and an .801 OPS in the second year of his 15-year, $765 million contract. The report says the Mets have been managing his workload between the field and the DH spot since his return.
The Mets’ broader injury picture is also noted in the report: four starting position players are on the injured list — shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf), first baseman Jorge Polanco (wrist/Achilles), center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) and catcher Francisco Alvarez (knee). The report says the team does not have timetables for those players’ returns and that Alvarez was the latest addition Wednesday after suffering a tear in his right meniscus that will require surgery.
