Feb 21, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) returns to the dugout after his at bat against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Mets superstar left fielder Juan Soto took an all-important next step in his rehab from a strained calf after Steve Cohen disclosed that he began his running program on Tuesday.
Soto, who suffered the injury on April 3 in San Francisco against the Giants while running the bases, was placed on the 10-day injured list days later, though with a retroactive date of April 4.
An initial two-to-three-week timetable appears to still be the expectation, though there is no concrete idea on when the 27-year-old will be able to get back into the Mets’ lineup. He will have to be running at full speed, and some semblance of a rehab assignment is expected to be in the cards, though manager Carlos Mendoza admitted that they might have to get “creative” rather than sending him to the minors. That would potentially feature minor leaguers traveling to Citi Field to throw to him for simulated at-bats.
Soto’s absence continues to be felt more and more with each dreadful offensive showing put forth by the Mets. They enter Wednesday night’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers on a seven-game losing streak in which they have scored just one run over their last 26 innings.
They have scored two or fewer runs in six of those seven losses and have been shut out in three of their last five games. Soto was batting .355 with a .928 OPS, one home run, and five RBI in eight games this season.
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