Juan Soto will miss more time with a calf strain. Sam Navarro / Imagn Images
April 6, 2026Updated 3:46 pm EDT
For the first time since 2021, Juan Soto is headed to the injured list.
The New York Mets’ star outfielder has been placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 4 with a strain of his right calf. Soto suffered the injury Friday night in San Francisco, running from first to third on a base hit in the first inning of a Mets’ win.
The Mets recalled infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse to take Soto’s spot on the roster.
Soto last hit the IL with a shoulder strain while with the Washington Nationals in 2021. From 2022-2025, he played in 632 of a possible 648 regular-season games.
Without Soto, the Mets have Brett Baty, Jared Young and Tyrone Taylor as potential replacements in the corner outfield. Playing Baty in the outfield would likely lead to more regular playing time for Mark Vientos, who has been New York’s hottest hitter over the last week. Mauricio would provide the Mets with a more typical backup infielder in the event Baty is playing more on the grass.
Looking further down the line, the Mets recently signed veteran Tommy Pham to a minor-league deal as a right-handed option in the outfield. Pham is scheduled to play in his first Triple-A game on Wednesday, a league source said. Generally, Pham is the kind of player who needs about three to five games to be ready.
While it’s never easy to lose a bat like Soto’s, the timing is tough for the Mets. New York’s relatively soft open to the schedule is interrupted by arguably its toughest road trip of the season next week, with stops at Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field. Given the timeline put forth by the club, Soto likely would not return until after that stretch.
Apr 6, 2026
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