Can Juan Soto save sinking Mets? Return expected amid losing streak

If Juan Soto wants to win MVP in the era of Shohei Ohtani, his quest begins with a rescue mission. Soto's first task will be helping dig the team out of its 11-game losing streak. The Mets superstar outfielder is expected to return from a calf strain during the club's nine-game homestand, beginning Tuesday against the Twins at Citi Field against the Twins.

The superstar outfielder's reemergence comes at a pivotal time. The club enters Tuesday with the worst record in the National League. The Mets' journey back to relevance will take a demanding effort from Soto and the rest of his teammates; only four teams in major league history have reached the postseason with a losing streak of more than 10 games.

This is Soto's chance to prove just how valuable he is to the Mets in his second season. What has gone wrong without Juan Soto? Initially after Soto pulled up wincing as he rounded second base on a Bo Bichette single against the Giants on April 3, it appeared that the Mets might be able to at least stay afloat during his absence.

The club scored a combined 24 runs in the final three games of that series — all wins — and walked off the Diamondbacks in the 10th inning of a 4-3 victory when they returned back home. But since then, the Mets' anemic offense has been the prevailing reason for the club's longest winless drought since 2004. In nine of the their 11 losses, the lineup has scored two runs or fewer.