Juan Soto is returning to the New York Mets after a calf strain that kept him out since April 4. The Mets are currently on a 12-game losing streak and have the worst record in Major League Baseball.
Soto, who finished third in the 2025 NL MVP voting in his first season after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, is skipping a minor league rehab assignment and is expected to be back in the lineup Wednesday, April 22, for a home game against the Minnesota Twins.
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees - $42,500,000
Q&A
When is Juan Soto expected to return to the Mets lineup?
Juan Soto is expected to return to the Mets lineup on Wednesday, April 22.
What injury has kept Juan Soto out of the game?
Juan Soto has been sidelined due to a calf strain since April 4.
How has the Mets' performance been during Soto's absence?
During Soto's absence, the Mets have experienced a 12-game losing streak and currently hold the worst record in the majors.
What was Juan Soto's performance prior to his injury?
Before his injury, Juan Soto finished third in the 2025 NL MVP voting and signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.
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3. Bo Bichette, Mets - $42 million
3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies – $42 million
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays - $40,214,286
6. Aaron Judge, Yankees – $40 million
7. Anthony Rendon, Angels - $38,571,429
8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers - $38 million
9. Mike Trout, Angels – $37,116,667
10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees – $36,000,000
11. Jose Altuve, Astros – $33 million
11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers - $33 million
13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers - $32,500,000
14. Francisco Lindor, Mets - $32,477,277
15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers – $32 million
16. Carlos Correa, Astros – $31,500,000
16. Corey Seager, Rangers - $31,500,000
18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox – $31 million
19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks – $30,790,069
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees - $29 million
21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers – $28,536,643
22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – $28,206,684
23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs – $28 million
24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees – $27,833,333
25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) – $27,814,045
26. Bryce Harper, Phillies - $27,538,462
27. Trea Turner, Phillies – $27,272,727
28. Blake Snell, Dodgers - $27,152,056
29. Kris Bryant, Rockies - $27 million
30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros - $26,833,333
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
2 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees - $42,500,000
3 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Bo Bichette, Mets - $42 million
4 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies – $42 million
5 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays - $40,214,286
6 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
6. Aaron Judge, Yankees – $40 million
7 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
7. Anthony Rendon, Angels - $38,571,429
8 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers - $38 million
9 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
9. Mike Trout, Angels – $37,116,667
10 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees – $36,000,000
11 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
11. Jose Altuve, Astros – $33 million
12 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers - $33 million
13 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers - $32,500,000
14 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
14. Francisco Lindor, Mets - $32,477,277
15 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers – $32 million
16 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
16. Carlos Correa, Astros – $31,500,000
17 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
16. Corey Seager, Rangers - $31,500,000
18 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox – $31 million
19 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks – $30,790,069
20 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees - $29 million
21 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers – $28,536,643
22 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – $28,206,684
23 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs – $28 million
24 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees – $27,833,333
25 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) – $27,814,045
26 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
26. Bryce Harper, Phillies - $27,538,462
27 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
27. Trea Turner, Phillies – $27,272,727
28 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
28. Blake Snell, Dodgers - $27,152,056
29 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
29. Kris Bryant, Rockies - $27 million
30 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros - $26,833,333
Mets' struggles without Juan Soto
The Mets won their first three games without Soto in the lineup, but have gone on to drop 12 in a row since then.
While the pitching staff has been decent, the supporting cast on offense hasn't done the job in Soto's absence.
All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who hit a three-run homer in Tuesday's 5-3 loss, entered the contest with one home run and one RBI over the team's first 22 games. Prized free agent signee Bo Bichette has just one homer and is hitting .219 − nearly 100 points below his average last season in Toronto.
As a result, the Mets have baseball's lowest team OPS (.617) and are scoring a major league-worst 3.26 runs per game.
The six-time Silver Slugger led the NL with a .396 on-base percentage last season and surprisingly also topped the league with 38 stolen bases. That, in addition to hitting a career-high 43 homers, scoring 120 runs and driving in 105.
How much of a difference can Juan Soto make?
Having his consistently stellar production in the middle of the lineup will help take some of the pressure off Lindor, Bichette and company. But will it be enough to get the Mets back on course for the postseason?
The Cincinnati Reds won a tiebreaker with the Mets last season for the NL's final wild card spot as both teams finished with 83-79 records. Just to get back to that level again this season, the 7-16 Mets would have to go 76-63, a winning percentage of .547.
However, they'll likely have to be much better than they were last season to get into the playoffs. In 2025, just seven NL teams finished with above-.500 records. So far this season, six NL clubs have winning percentages over .600 − with three others at .565 or higher.
The question isn't really whether Soto's return will give the Mets a significant lift. It's whether or not his return will be enough to get the team back into playoff contention. It's far too early to tell for sure ... after all it's only April.
But one thing is certain: Soto and the Mets have some catching up to do. Snapping a lengthy losing streak is the first step in that direction.
