Juan Soto is sidelined with a mild calf strain sustained on April 3, 2026, while playing against the San Francisco Giants. His return to the Mets lineup is being closely monitored as the season progresses.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Perennial MVP candidate Juan Soto is on the shelf early in the 2026 MLB season, dealing with a calf strain. Below, we will dish out an injury update on Soto, and give potential dates on when he will return to the Mets lineup. We will also look at Soto’s MVP odds, as well as the Mets postseason odds.
**When will Juan Soto return and be back in the Mets’ lineup?**Soto injured his calf while running the bases in San Francisco against the Giants on April 3, causing him to exit the game. It was later revealed that he suffered a calf strain.
Fortunately for Soto and the Mets, this appears to be only a mild strain.
In fact, the Mets were initially operating on the premise that Soto could avoid the injured list altogether. Instead, they opted to put him on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks from when he was placed on the IL.
Recovery from a mild calf strain typically only takes 1-3 weeks. But, the Mets are obviously using an abundance of caution with their $765 million investment.
“There is no reason to push it here,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said regarding Soto’s injury. “Just wanted to play it safe. From the very beginning, I’ve been saying that these are tricky, the calf area. There’s no reason for us to continue to go day-by-day and put him through a series of exercises and make a decision of whether he’s going to be available or not. We just decided, ‘You know what? Take your time.’”
Two weeks from when Soto was placed on the IL would be April 20. Three weeks would be April 27.
Given the timeframe and the Mets insistence that Soto take his time, the outfielder will likely return in one of the following games:
Juan Soto oddsSoto had around +650 National League MVP odds just prior to the injury. He is currently +1200 to win at Fanatics Sportsbook. Only Shohei Ohtani (-200) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (+1000) are higher on the odds board.
Soto, a 4-time All-Star, started hot to open the season. In 31 at-bats thus far in 2026, Soto is hitting .355. He has 1 home run and 5 RBI.
Mets oddsThe Mets are one of the favorites to win the World Series as they currently own +1300 odds at Fanatics Sportsbook. Only the Dodgers (+215), Yankees (+800), and Mariners (+1000) have lower odds.
Carlos Mendoza’s club is 7-5 on the season and is just a half-game behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East. New York has performed well in Soto’s absence as it is 3-1 since its star went down.
The Mets are currently +120 to win the NL East.
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Juan Soto is dealing with a mild calf strain.
Juan Soto sustained his calf injury on April 3, 2026.
Soto's injury could impact the Mets' postseason odds, but the extent will depend on his recovery time and performance upon return.
Soto's MVP odds may fluctuate based on his recovery and performance throughout the season.
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