Juan Soto has established himself as arguably the best player in the New York Mets’ lineup amid the team’s disastrous season. But there is no denying that his calves have troubled him all year. It began with a right calf strain in April that forced him to miss 15 games. Now, he has another setback to overcome after injuring his left calf. Having their lone All-Star this year on the IL, interim manager Andy Green did not hide his frustration while speaking to the media.

“It’s a frustrating set of circumstances. It’s definitely something we will reflect on,” Green said on Saturday, per SNY Mets. “It feels unlucky, to a degree.”

When Andy Green took over, the Mets were already scrambling to save their season. They are currently the second-worst team in the National League with a 43-61 record, and amid this downward spiral, Soto has been the only steady presence in their lineup.

So far, the left fielder has recorded 21 home runs and 52 RBIs while batting .283. But a lingering left calf discomfort has troubled him lately.

On July 16, Soto exited the game against the Philadelphia Phillies early in the eighth inning with left calf soreness. The Mets tried to nurse him back to health without an IL stint. They decreased his workload, limiting him to batting only. The club even gave him a rare off day on Wednesday, hoping it would give Soto enough rest to put the issue behind him.

However, it was clearly not the case. The Dominican was forced to exit the game in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday with left calf soreness. He felt it while pushing off first base.

Following his early exit during the Mets’ 4-2 loss to the Dodgers, Soto underwent MRI scans to evaluate his calf injury on Saturday. The imaging revealed that he reportedly has a Grade 2 calf strain. As a result, the Mets put him on the IL.

According to insider Jon Heyman, “one initial estimate for Soto is 4 to 6 weeks. They understandably will be cautious.”

As a result, the timeline puts him on track to return sometime in September. That means Soto will be sidelined much longer than he was earlier this season. However, interim manager Andy Green is reportedly still hopeful that he will return.

“Anticipation right now is it’s going to take longer than last time,” Green said, per SNY. “He was out about three weeks last time, so it’s a little more significant than last time. It’s not what we were hoping for. He’s a guy we love having on the field; he’s a guy who loves to be on the field competing. We’ll be without him for a period of time now.”

The Mets can wait for Juan Soto’s return in September; however, it is unlikely to change their fate this season.