Mets Activate Juan Soto From IL

The Mets activate Juan Soto from the 10-day injured list Saturday ahead of the Houston Astros at Citi Field, the Associated Press reported via ESPN at 12:37 p.m. ET. Soto, 27, had a grade 2 left calf strain. It was his second IL stint of the season. He was placed July 25 after leaving a Dodgers game following two walks against Roki Sasaki, with Jorge Polanco pinch-hitting in the sixth of a 1-1 game the Mets eventually lost 4-2.

Soto is hitting .283 with 21 home runs, 52 RBI, and a .947 OPS in 84 games in his second Mets season. He is a five-time All-Star and a $765 million star, the New York Post noted. NBC Sports had him batting second as the DH Saturday against Houston, with 46 runs, 7 steals, and a .283/.408/.539 line in 359 plate appearances through those 84 games. Infielder Eric Wagaman was optioned to Triple-A after Friday's 3-1 loss to the Astros to clear the roster spot.

Why did the Mets activate Juan Soto now?

Because the calf cleared, and because they skipped the usual stop. MLB Trade Rumors wrote that an earlier right-calf strain cost Soto roughly three weeks in April, that the left calf hit after the All-Star break, and that this return sits well inside the original 4-to-6 week window. The Post called the skipped rehab assignment a stunner. Soto is expected primarily as a DH against Houston. The OF mix still includes Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Luis Robert Jr.

That is the whole medical board. No invented timeline. No fake quotes. Just a star back on the card for a Saturday matinee after a calf that already cost him two IL trips this year. Search Mets activate Juan Soto and the answer is Citi Field, Astros, DH, and no Triple-A tune-up.

What Juan Soto's return means

New York gets its middle-of-the-order bat back without a rehab tax. He will likely live at DH the rest of the way while the outfield stays a three-man puzzle. Smacktok already tracked the Mets' injury board with Bo Bichette's Mets injury and the other side of this series with Jeremy Pena's Astros injury. Soto walking back into the lineup is the louder Saturday headline.

Grade 2 calves can linger. Skipping rehab means the Mets are betting on feel over innings. Through 84 games he still looks like the $765 million problem he was signed to be. Houston finds out Saturday.

Mets activate Juan Soto FAQ

Did the Mets activate Juan Soto? Yes. The AP via ESPN reported Saturday that New York reinstated him from the 10-day IL ahead of the Astros at Citi Field.

What injury did Juan Soto have? A grade 2 left calf strain, his second IL stint this season after he was placed July 25.

Will Soto play the outfield Saturday? The New York Post said he is expected primarily as a DH vs Houston. NBC Sports had him batting second as the DH.