Juan Soto (back) returns to action on Thursday

With Luis Robert Jr. off the injured list, there was an expectation that the Mets would rotate through their outfielders, but Robert Jr. is on the bench for this one too. Brett Baty will start in right field, which will allow Jorge Polanco to DH and Marcus Semien to play second base. There will be a logjam at certain positions over the next week or so until the Mets can trade some players away.

Soto is back in New York’s lineup without missing any additional time following an early exit from Thursday’s second-half opener with left calf soreness. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar is at DH and hitting second to face Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo on Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Fantasy managers should continue to closely monitor his status throughout the weekend, but Soto doesn’t appear to be at risk of missing any additional game action.

Soto had singled and drawn three walks in his four plate appearances before exiting in the eighth inning for a defensive replacement. Interim manager Andy Green said after the game that the team just wanted to get him off of his feet for a couple innings and that Soto is expected to play in both games over the weekend. He’s considered day-to-day.

Soto is now up to 21 home runs and 50 RBI in 75 games on the season. There are many reasons for the Mets’ struggles this season, but Soto is not one of them.

Soto’s three-run homer off Raisel Iglesias gave the Mets a 5-3 lead that failed to hold up initially, as Matt Olson responded with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning. However, the Mets did prevail in 10, with Luis Torrens connecting on a go-ahead double off the bench. Soto had three walks to go along with his 19th homer tonight. He also collected his seventh steal.

Unsurprisingly, Soto was voted into the starting group even with the Mets having a disappointing 2026 campaign. He’ll be joined in the outfield by Andy Pages and Brandon Marsh. The infield will include 3B Max Muncy, SS CJ Abrams, 2B Ozzie Albies and 1B Freddie Freeman, with Drake Baldwin elected the starting catcher and Shohei Ohtani the designated hitter.

Soto drove the Mets offense in this one. His two-run homer – that looked like a cue-shot off the bat – stood as their only run until the ninth inning when Soto singled just before Bo Bichette drove in their third and final run in a late rally that fell short. He also had a demonstrative challenge of a called third strike that was overturned and turned into a walk. He’s had a fantastic season with 18 home runs and a .971 OPS through 69 games despite the Mets’ struggles.

Robert has been on the shelf with a herniated disc in his back since late April. The 28-year-old center fielder’s impending return will complicate New York’s outfield mix, especially since rookie A.J. Ewing has been tearing the cover off the ball recently. The logical move would be to allow Juan Soto to get some extra time at DH with Ewing and fellow rookie Carson Benge in the outfield corners once he’s back. He’ll likely require at least a week or two of minor league at-bats to get back up to speed following the lengthy layoff. The durability concerns aren’t going away, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Robert were an impactful fantasy contributor during the second half based on his raw talent and track record.

Soto drew a walk in the third inning, then singled and scored a run in the sixth. With a runner on in the seventh, he tripled to center field to extend the Mets’ lead before scoring his second run on a sacrifice fly. The 27-year-old star outfielder is hitting .299/.399/.567 with 17 homers, 38 runs scored, 39 RBI, and six steals across 272 plate appearances.

The Mets have Francisco Lindor back for the first time since late April. Unfortunately, they’re going to be without Soto in this one. It’ll be Eric Wagaman filling in at DH. The 27-year-old generational talent winds up sitting out both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader with back tightness. It’s impossible to rule out a potential trip to the injured list prior to Thursday’s series finale if Soto isn’t showing improvement. There should be additional clarity on his status following Wednesday’s nightcap against the Cubs.