The New York Mets have had the worst season they could have imagined. Entering the year, they were widely expected to not only make the postseason but also contend for the World Series.
They backed that belief with one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory, spending enough to enter the year with the second highest payroll in baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Unfortunately, it has all been downhill. Nearly every player has underperformed, they fired their manager Carlos Mendoza, and both Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto have spent time on the injured list. Entering Friday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York sits 16 games under .500 at 50-66.
Jul 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
While Lindor has been available for the Mets, Soto has not. Soto is currently on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain suffered back on July 24 during a game against the Dodgers.
The initial reaction was that he would miss a lengthy amount of time, and given how far out of the playoff picture the Mets are, it remains unclear if he will return this season at all. However, Soto took his first step toward returning on Friday.
Speaking with reporters, interim manager Chad Green revealed that Soto has progressed to light baseball activities, though he admitted that Soto is not doing anything yet to stress the left calf.
Before going down, Soto was as dominant as ever. Across 293 at-bats, the 27-year-old Dominican superstar posted a .283 batting average, .408 on-base percentage, .947 OPS, 21 home runs and 52 RBIs, numbers that had him firmly in the National League MVP conversation before the injury.
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