The wait is over as the New York Mets activated outfielder Juan Soto off the injured list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros at Citi Field. Soto will play designated hitter and bat second in the order behind Francisco Lindor. In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned infielder Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse.
The roster move comes after the Mets made it clear that Soto would return from a left calf strain he sustained on July 25. In the lead up to his return, he took live at-bats, as well as participated in running drills and defensive plays. During this period, he was closely monitored by the team’s training staff.
“It’s good to get him back into the lineup. He’s worked incredibly hard the last few weeks and done a lot of it behind the scenes without people seeing him and when we’re on the road,” interim manager Andy Green said. “He’s pushed himself in a way that, frankly, you don’t see a lot of veterans push themselves when your team is in this situation.”
Juan Soto Returns
In the last week, the Mets have lost five of their last seven. Against the Milwaukee Brewers, they were outscored 16–3 in back-to-back defeats. As they continue to struggle, their record has fallen to 15 games below .500 as they sit last in the NL East.
However, Juan Soto gives them a better chance at recovering from this down stretch. He missed 15 games at the start of the regular season with another calf injury, but found success upon returning. At that point in the year, he went on a six-game hitting streak with two home runs and three RBI.
Before being sidelined for a second time, Soto was slashing .283/.408/.539 on a .947 OPS and 2.7 WAR. This was in addition to registering 83 hits, eight doubles, 52 RBI and 21 home runs.
“I think it adds the best player in baseball to our outfield and DH mix. He can get some DH at-bats in those sort of circumstances as was Juan when he was hitting there before,” Green said on Tuesday.
Wagaman Optioned
The Mets optioned Wagaman to free up space for Juan Soto. Across 26 appearances, Wagaman had nine hits, five RBI and two home runs on a .191 average. The team utilized him as designated hitter and as an additional first baseman. Still, he was not producing enough to remain on the roster.
More New York Mets Articles
More MLB Articles
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
- Category
-
New York Mets
