Mets' Juan Soto Gives Update on Injury Status

The New York Mets can exhale for now.

On Friday, superstar left fielder Juan Soto departed New York's game against the San Francisco Giants with right calf tightness. He was then scheduled to receive an MRI on Saturday, which would effectively sideline him for the Mets' game later that night.

Fortunately, it appears one of the better-case scenarios has arisen. Speaking to the media, Soto revealed that he has a minor calf strain and that no decision has been made on whether he would be placed on the injured list.

"Right now it's a minor strain," Soto said. "We're going to be going day-by-day, see how it feels. No decisions have been made yet, we're going to see how I wake up the next couple of days and go from there."

Juan Soto reveals he has a minor strain in his right calf and no decision is made yet on if he will go on IL:

"We're going to see how I wake up the next couple of days and go from there" pic.twitter.com/TIzVNiQ9Jz
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026

Soto added that he feels much better compared to when he initially suffered the calf strain. Nonetheless, he remained noncommittal in his status for New York's series finale on Sunday in San Francisco.

"It's impressive what we saw on the imaging because I feel way better than yesterday. I definitely feel really good, and to see what came out on the MRI, it was surprising for me," Soto said.

"We're going day-to-day, today we're going to see how we ended out the day before the game and see if I'm available or not."

Juan Soto was asked if he's hopeful to play tomorrow:

"We'll see. We're going day-to-day, today we're going to see how we ended out the day before the game and see if I'm available or not" pic.twitter.com/vfVyUlx5DG
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza later said he had "mixed" feelings on Soto's calf strain.

"He's got that mild strain, right? But surprisingly when I saw him earlier, the way he's walking around, just the attitude itself, he seems to be in a really good place," Mendoza said.

How Should the Mets Manage Juan Soto's Injury?

If Soto were to land on the injured list, it would be a very rare occurrence because the 27-year-old outfielder has been one of MLB's most durable players since debuting in 2018.

After a 116-game rookie campaign (called up to the majors on May 18), Soto has consistently played in 150 games each year (outside of the shortened 2020 season, playing in 47 of 60 games). This included a full 162-game season with the San Diego Padres in 2023, 157 games with the New York Yankees in 2024, and 160 games in his first season with the Mets last year.

However, calf injuries are notoriously susceptible to being reaggravated, something that Mendoza alluded to when confirming Soto's scheduled MRI this morning. As such, it would make sense for the Mets to play things safe with their franchise talent and at least allow him to rest for the remainder of the San Francisco series. Monday is also an off day for the team before returning home to Flushing and hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Carlos Mendoza says he has mixed feelings on Juan Soto's calf strain:

"He's got that mild strain, right? But surprisingly when I saw him earlier, the way he's walking around, just the attitude itself, he seems to be in a really good place" pic.twitter.com/I9FXkYiqp4
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2026

Soto has gotten off to a fantastic start to the 2026 season, recording a hit in all eight games and slashing .355/.412/.516 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, and a 162 wRC+ in 34 plate appearances. But in the meantime, the Mets will need stars like Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette, as well as depth options like Brett Baty or the heating-up Mark Vientos, to elevate the lineup in Soto's hopefully short absence.

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