Juan Soto is back. But can he right the ship for the lowly Mets?
After missing 15 games with a calf strain, All-Star Juan Soto is back as the Mets look to snap a 12-game skid. How much of a difference can he make?
New York Mets fans haven't had much to cheer about this season, especially during the team's current 12-game losing streak . But help is on the way. Star outfielder Juan Soto is set to return from a calf strain that has sidelined him since April 4 .
During that time, the Mets have fallen from first place in the National League East division to the worst record in the majors . Soto, who finished third in the 2025 NL MVP voting in his first season after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, is skipping a minor league rehab assignment and is expected to be back in the lineup Wednesday, April 22, for a home game against the Minnesota Twins. Mets' struggles without Juan Soto The Mets won their first three games without Soto in the lineup, but have gone on to drop 12 in a row since then.
While the pitching staff has been decent, the supporting cast on offense hasn't done the job in Soto's absence. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who hit a three-run homer in Tuesday's 5-3 loss , entered the contest with one home run and one RBI over the team's first 22 games. Prized free agent signee Bo Bichette has just one homer and is hitting .
219 − nearly 100 points below his average last season in Toronto. As a result, the Mets have baseball's lowest team OPS (. 617) and are scoring a major league-worst 3.