The Mets are 4-4 on the season, and although there’s nothing elite about it, Juan Soto deserves applause for powering the lineup. Last April, he was hitting at .232, but this year, Soto is currently going at .355. However, as Soto was forced out of the field due to a calf strain on Friday and is pending an MRI on Saturday, fans were all holding their breath for the worst. And just in time, renowned sports doctor Jesse Morse offered some clarity on the situation and gave his verdict.

“Juan Soto is dealing with a calf injury. Best case scenario, this is just a mild tweak and not actually a strain. Might take 1-2 games off and be ok. If this is a true strain, then he will likely miss a couple of weeks,” Morse shared via x.

Well, nobody in the Mets’ community ever wanted to hear “Juan Soto” and “MRI” in the same breath. But Dr. Morse’s remark might come as a sigh of relief for the fans.

On Friday, Soto started his game with a bang. He hit a single in the first inning and then sprinted from first to third base. However, the replay showed he was struggling to run from second base to third. Shortly after, the Mets announced that Soto was pulled out of the game with right calf tightness. What’s worse? Soto was also pulled from the game tonight.

“There’s obviously concern any time you send a player for an MRI, and those areas, the calf area, can be tricky,” Mendoza said. “So we’ve just got to wait.”

So, the team and the fans are now waiting for the MRI results. But per Dr. Morse, it looks like a minor tweak, not serious. And if that’s the case, he’ll only miss one or two games. But in case of a serious strain, a 15-day IL could be possible. In 2019, Mike Trout suffered a similar calf strain that caused him to miss a few games. So, the Mets would be hoping to get their elite slugger back as quickly as possible.

The Mets also missed Jorge Polanco due to an Achilles issue, and while he is still unsure about his return, the Mets’ lineup would surely face the heat. Leaving out both Polanco and Soto just at a time when the Mets’ lineup is not firing enough is a nightmare for Mendoza.

The Mets’ offense is more concerning than Juan Soto’s injury

While the Mets’ offense exploded in the second game against the Giants, winning 10-3, the first game was truly their worst. Except for the last game against the Giants, the Mets have scored more than four runs only once in the seven before it. The only other time was in the season opener against the Pirates.

So, that shows the sad state of affairs for the Mets. And the worst part is that the team is struggling to score runs despite having batters like Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Bo Bichette. In terms of their on-field stats, the Mets have only pulled the ball in the air 14.2% of the time. That’s tied for the seventh-lowest mark in baseball.

“One, on the new players to perform with Bichette, Polanco, and all the guys they brought in. Two, the manager, Carlos Mendoza. They changed a lot of coaches last offseason, and usually that is the precursor to a managerial change if things don’t go well,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal added.

Before the 2026 season, the Mets scrapped their core consisting of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo. Even the coaching staff saw changes. So, it’s a huge pressure point for the new lineup to perform at the expected level. And with Soto getting sidelined now, the challenge just got bigger for the lineup.

The second game against the Giants hinted at the comeback of the Mets’ offense. Let’s see if that continues in the third game without Soto.