Juan Soto’s left calf is officially a Grade 2 strain, and that’s a massive blow for the New York Mets. The imaging confirmed what everyone feared after he left Friday night’s game early, a game where the Mets dropped their second straight to the reigning champion Dodgers, falling 4-3 despite Tyrone Taylor’s late two-run double.
Soto’s Injury: A Major Setback
This Grade 2 strain is more significant than the right calf issue that put Soto on the IL for three weeks earlier this season, though not as bad as Francisco Lindor’s two-month absence. It’s still a serious problem. Andy Green already said they’re factoring in Soto’s “long-term importance” for his recovery, which is a clear signal they aren’t rushing him back. The team expects him to return this season, probably in September. But let’s be real, if he’s out until mid-September, Laura Albanese of Newsday hit the nail on the head, it might not even be worth bringing him back “given where the Mets are.” Jon Heyman over at the New York Post even dropped a ten-point plan to fix the Mets, which tells you everything you need to know about their current state. Fielding miscues in that Dodgers game didn’t help, either.
NL East Chaos: Nats on the Move, Marlins in Freefall
While the Mets are licking their wounds, the rest of the NL East is definitely making moves. The Nationals are looking interesting, grabbing a 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks thanks to a four-run third inning. They also scooped up left-hander Connelly Early from the Red Sox for infielder Curtis Mead, who’s been having a breakout season in D.C. And the Nats are reportedly open to trading All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, who just went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs in yesterday’s win. He’d instantly be one of the hottest targets out there.
Over in Philadelphia, the Phillies fell 3-1 to the Yankees, who absolutely lived up to that “Bronx Bombers” name. But hey, a silver lining there was Brian Keller’s three scoreless innings in his major league debut, after a long grind to get to that mound. The Phillies also added outfielder Kameron Misner from the Royals for cash, sending him to Triple-A and designating Steward Berroa for assignment.
Then there are the Marlins. They just lost their 11th straight game, dropping below .500 for the first time since June 17, making them the only team besides the Mets with a losing streak of that length this season. Miami got beaten 7-2 by the Padres in a wild game that even had a fire alarm delay at loanDepot Park. Eury Pérez had a solid outing, but Dax Fulton got tagged for four runs in two innings. And to top it all off, right-hander Eiver Mosquera got an 80-game suspension under the minor league drug program. Talk about a rough stretch!
This division is absolutely nuts right now. With Juan Soto’s significant calf injury sidelining a key star, the Mets’ road ahead just got way tougher. Every game is going to matter big time as teams battle it out, trying to find their footing in this wild early season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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