Why the Mets Should Be Cautious With Juan Soto

The New York Mets seemingly dodged a bullet with Juan Soto, who departed Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants.

Soto was officially diagnosed with a minor calf strain on Saturday after he was seen running gingerly around the bases during the top of the first inning. He was later replaced by Tyrone Taylor.

The 27-year-old superstar did not play the remainder of the series as New York took three out of four from the Bay against the Giants. With the Mets having an off day on Monday before they return home to begin a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it is now a wait-and-see on whether Soto will suit up for Tuesday's opener.

While Soto is undoubtedly the Mets' best power hitter in their lineup, the offense was able to step up in a massive way during his absence. This could result in the Amazins' taking it easy with their superstar outfielder.

Why the Mets may not need to rush Juan Soto back

During the Mets' four-game series, they outscored the Giants 26-12. Nearly everybody in the lineup contributed to the offensive outburst, a testament to the depth the Mets have. The aforementioned Taylor, who came into the series without a base hit to begin the season, collected two hits and four RBI, including hitting a three-run homer during Friday's matchup.

Marcus Semien, who had just two hits to begin his Mets tenure, finally broke out over the weekend. He went 7-for-15 in the series with four RBI, including hitting his first home run in a Mets uniform on Friday. Francisco Álvarez also had a huge series, as he, along with Taylor and Semien, went deep on Friday, clubbing two home runs.

New York also saw glimpses of the 2024 version of Mark Vientos over the weekend. Vientos went an impressive 8-for-18 in the four games, with a home run and four RBI to begin the year batting right at .500. The 26-year-old has seemingly gotten over the dreadful spring training he had.

It wasn't just Taylor, Semien, Álvarez and Vientos, as the Mets got contributions from multiple other players in their lineup to feast on the Giants' elite pitching staff, making the Soto absence less worrisome. The Mets' offensive outburst also did not include Francisco Lindor, who went 0-for-16 in the series and is still seeking his first RBI of the year.

When Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns went through a massive offseason roster overhaul, it was for situations like this, when the ballclub was either getting poor production from its superstars or was without them due to injury.

The Mets were just fine without Juan Soto in San Francisco. And with it only being April and the offense showing just the amount of depth that they have, the Mets should take it easy with their superstar and avoid rushing him back if he's not 100%.

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