Juan Soto returns to lineup for season finale

It’s a massive relief for the Mets after Soto was drilled on the right hand by a 91.7 mph sinker during the ninth inning of Saturday’s blowout win over the Nationals. The 27-year-old generational talent figures to sit out Sunday’s season finale, but that’s not a guarantee. The positive news is that he managed to avoid serious injury, based on initial imaging. He missed a significant chunk of the year with a calf injury, but still has managed to hit .278/.397/.522 with 63 runs scored, 27 homers, 68 RBI and nine steals in 110 games so far.

Soto was drilled on the right hand by a 91.7 mph sinker in the ninth inning. He’ll presumably head for X-rays to determine whether he suffered any fractures. It’s been a nightmare season for the Mets and they can’t seem to catch a break. There’s only one game left in the season, which means it wouldn’t be surprising if this is it for Soto on the year. He was 2-for-4 at the dish prior to exiting. He’s hit .278/.397/.522 with 63 runs scored, 27 homers, 68 RBI and nine steals in 110 games this season. There should be an update on his status prior to Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Soto’s first hit of the night came on a double in the second inning that didn’t lead to any runs being scored. In the sixth inning, Soto would hit a three-run homer off of Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering to push the Mets’ lead to 6-2. It was the 26th homer of the season for Soto, who now has four homers in September and has hit safely in three of his last five games. He is slashing just .239/.329/.463 in the month.

As a team, the Mets tallied just four hits in the ballgame — all of them singles. Soto drew a one-out walk in the first inning but was promptly picked off of first base. He then walked again in the fourth and was erased on a double play. For the season, the 27-year-old slugger is slashing .270/.390/.515 with 25 homers, 61 RBI and nine stolen bases in only 439 plate appearances in his 102 games.

Soto’s home run was his 24th of the season. He hit a three-run shot off Sandy Alcantara in the second inning. It was Soto’s third home run in 10 games since he returned from the injured list in late August. He’s hitting .279 with a .936 OPS and 59 RBI.

Soto doubled with a run scored in his return Saturday, and the 27-year-old star picked up his first homer since July 9 with his solo shot. The Mets have been a borderline disaster in 2026, but Soto has done his part — when on the field, anyway — with a .941 OPS and 21 homers in his 85 games.

Soto is at DH and hitting second against the Astros on Saturday following a five-week absence with a left calf strain. The 27-year-old generational talent was hitting .283/.408/.539 with 46 runs scored, 21 homers, 52 RBI and seven steals in 359 plate appearances through 84 games before landing on the shelf in late July. He’s likely to spend most of his time at DH over the final month of the season with Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Luis Robert Jr. splitting time across New York’s outfield mix.

It sounds like if it’s not at some point this weekend against the Astros, Soto is in play to be activated for the September fantasy stretch run. He’s been out with a calf strain since late July.

Green added that Soto, who has expressed confidence that he’ll play again this season, remains without a definitive return timetable. He’s been on the injured list with a Grade 2 left calf strain since late July. All signs point to Soto being ready to return to New York’s lineup at some point in September, but he’s going to need a rehab assignment before that happens.

Soto hit the injured list with a Grade 2 left calf strain back in late July and told reporters that he expects to play again this season. The fact that he’s progressed to on-field running just a few weeks later seems to back up that initial optimism. The 27-year-old generational talent still needs to ramp up a hitting progression, and will likely require a brief minor league rehab assignment, before he’s ready to return to New York. There should be a more definitive return timetable at some point in the coming weeks.