Mets Place Juan Soto on IL, Reveal Timeline For Return

The New York Mets will be without their superstar left fielder Juan Soto for a less than ideal period of time.

Mar 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) wars up before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This isn't great news for the New York Mets who will be without their superstar for a while.

On Monday, the Mets placed left fielder Juan Soto on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 4 with a right calf strain.

The Mets estimate Soto will miss 2-3 weeks of action.

Breaking: Juan Soto has been placed on the IL retroactive to April 4th with a right calf strain

Mets say typical timeline to return is 2-3 weeks

Ronny Mauricio has been recalled from Triple-A

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) April 6, 2026

Calf injuries can be tricky and the Mets are playing it safe with Soto by not rushing him back into games with a strain. He will be sidelined for a bit now and the Mets will have to make do without him.

The good news is that the Mets' offense scored 24 runs in three contests since Soto exited Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants.

However, Soto is irreplaceable and the Mets will have to hope the rest of the lineup can try and pickup the slack with him on the shelf these next few weeks. It will certainly be a challenge.

Soto hit .355 with a .928 OPS in eight games before straining his calf. He began the season with an eight game hitting streak.

Jared Young, Brett Baty and Tyrone Taylor can all fill-in in left field for Soto in the coming weeks. By playing Baty in the outfield, it will allow manager Carlos Mendoza to continue to start the red-hot Mark Vientos everyday at first base or DH. Young is also off to a strong start, slashing .385/.467/.538 with a 1.005 OPS in seven games.

The Mets called up infielder Ronny Mauricio to take Soto's spot on the active roster. Mauricio has slashed .273/.294/.394 with a .688 OPS, one home run and three RBI in eight games for Triple-A Syracuse this season. Last year, the 25-year-old hit .226 with a .662 OPS and six homers in 61 games.

Lindor Must Get Going

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor (12) looks on while batting against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

With Soto out for the next 2-3 weeks, the rest of the Mets' lineup must step up in his absence. Specifically their other star hitters need to get going at the plate, especially Francisco Lindor.

Lindor is historically a slow starter in every season of his career and this campaign has been no different. The 32-year-old is just 5-for-37 (.135 batting average) with a .576 OPS to begin the 2026 season. He has yet to record a home run or RBI in the first 10 games.

If Lindor's bat can catch fire for the Mets in these next few weeks, it should help soften the blow of being without Soto.

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