The New York Mets have had the worst season they could have imagined. Entering the year, they were widely expected to not only make the postseason but also contend for the World Series. Backed by one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory, the Mets spent enough money to enter the campaign with the second highest payroll in baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet nearly everything has gone wrong. The team has underperformed across the board, manager Carlos Mendoza was fired, and stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto have both spent time on the injured list. As they opened a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets sat 16 games under .500 at 50-66, a stunning fall for a club with championship aspirations.

While Lindor has been back in the lineup, Soto has not. The 27-year-old Dominican superstar has been on the 10-day injured list since July 24, when he suffered a left calf strain during a game against the Dodgers. The initial reaction from the medical staff was that Soto would miss a significant amount of time, and given how far out of the playoff picture the Mets are, it remains unclear whether he will return at all this season. However, Soto took his first step toward a potential comeback on Friday, and interim manager Chad Green shared the news with reporters.

Green provides encouraging update

Speaking to the media before Friday's game, Chad Green revealed that Soto has progressed to light baseball activities. 'He's doing some light baseball activity, but we're not pushing him to do anything that would stress the left calf yet,' Green said. 'It's a positive sign that he's moving in the right direction, but we have to be very careful with this type of injury, especially for a player of his importance.'

The update, while cautious, is the first real sign of progress since Soto was placed on the injured list. For a team that has endured so much disappointment, even a small step forward from its biggest offensive star provides a glimmer of hope. Yet the Mets are not rushing him back. With the season all but lost, there is no urgency to risk further injury. The front office and coaching staff are focused on Soto's long-term health, not on saving a year that has spiraled out of control.

Soto's dominance before the injury

Before going down, Soto was as dominant as ever. Across 293 at-bats, he posted a .283 batting average, a .408 on-base percentage, a .947 OPS, 21 home runs, and 52 RBIs. Those numbers had him firmly in the National League MVP conversation before the injury. His ability to get on base at an elite rate, combined with his power and plate discipline, made him the engine of the Mets' offense. Even in a season where many of his teammates struggled, Soto remained a consistent force, giving fans a reason to watch a team that was otherwise falling apart.

Soto's injury was a cruel twist for a player who has built his career on durability and production. He had played in nearly every game before the calf strain, and his presence in the middle of the lineup was one of the few constants for the Mets. The calf injury not only cost him games but also likely ended any realistic chance he had at earning his first MVP award. At the time of his injury, he was among the league leaders in on-base percentage, OPS, and home runs, and his defensive improvements in right field had also been notable.

A season of unmet expectations

The Mets' 2026 season was supposed to be different. After a blockbuster offseason that saw the team add several high-profile players, the expectations were sky-high. The owners opened their wallets like never before, pushing the payroll to astronomical levels. The goal was simple: win now, and win big. The team was built to compete with the Dodgers, the defending champions, and every other contender in the National League. But from the opening weeks, things went wrong. Pitching faltered, hitting became inconsistent, and injuries began to pile up.

The decision to fire Carlos Mendoza came in late July, a desperate attempt to shake up a team that seemed incapable of responding. Chad Green was named interim manager, but the results did not improve. The Mets continued to lose, falling further and further behind in the standings. By the middle of August, the playoff dreams were dead, replaced by questions about the future of the franchise, the coaching staff, and the players who had failed to meet expectations.

Juan Soto's remarkable career

Juan Soto is no stranger to high expectations. Since bursting onto the scene as a 19-year-old with the Washington Nationals in 2018, he has been one of the most electrifying hitters in baseball. He won the World Series with the Nationals in 2019, hitting .333 in the Fall Classic against the Houston Astros. He has been a consistent MVP candidate, leading the league in on-base percentage multiple times and earning multiple Silver Slugger awards. His legendary plate discipline, which allows him to draw walks at an unprecedented rate, has drawn comparisons to Ted Williams and Barry Bonds.

After spending the first part of his career in Washington, Soto was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022, then to the New York Yankees in 2024. He helped the Yankees reach the World Series in his lone season in the Bronx, and his free-agent market that winter became one of the most anticipated in baseball history. The Mets won the sweepstakes, signing Soto to a record-breaking contract that made him the highest-paid player in professional sports at the time. The deal was a statement of intent, signaling that the Mets were willing to do whatever it took to win.

The road to recovery

Calf strains are tricky injuries, especially for a player whose game relies on explosive movements and quick acceleration. Soto's ability to track down fly balls in right field and to generate power from his lower half means the calf must be fully healed before he can return to action. The Mets have been cautious, and they will likely continue to be cautious for the rest of the season. If the team were in contention, the timeline might be different, but with the season lost, there is no reason to rush.

Green indicated that the next steps will be gradual. 'We'll let him progress at his own pace. He's doing some swinging and some light throwing, but nothing that involves running at full speed or making sudden movements. Once he can do that without any pain, we'll start to increase his workload. There's no timetable right now. We just want him to get healthy.'

Soto's return, if it happens at all, would provide a positive ending to an otherwise miserable season. For the fans, seeing Soto back on the field would be a reminder of the talent the team has, even if the results have not matched expectations. For the organization, it would be a chance to build momentum heading into the offseason, when the team must decide how to fix a roster that looked so promising on paper but failed so dramatically on the field.

Looking ahead

The Mets are facing a critical offseason. They have a superstar in Soto, a dynamic shortstop in Lindor, and a passionate fan base that expects excellence. But they also have a long list of disappointments and a need for significant changes. The pitching staff needs reinforcements, the bullpen was unreliable all year, and the bench produced little. The front office will have to make difficult decisions about which players to keep, which to trade, and which free agents to pursue.

For now, though, the focus is on Soto's rehabilitation. His health is the top priority, and the team is determined to get it right. Whether he plays again in 2026 remains uncertain, but the latest update from Chad Green offers a measure of hope. Soto is moving in the right direction, and that is something for Mets fans to hold onto as the season winds down.

While the playoffs are clearly out of reach, the final weeks of the season are still important for the team's younger players, who are using the opportunity to prove themselves at the major league level. The coaching staff, led by Green, is evaluating everyone on the roster. Soto's eventual return, whenever it comes, will be a bright spot in a dark season. And with his track record of greatness, there is every reason to believe that once healthy, he will return to being one of the best players in the world.

Source: MSN News