EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe New York Mets placed Juan Soto on the injured list Monday after the left fielder suffered a minor right calf strain running the bases Friday against the San Francisco Giants.He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.This is the second non-COVID IL stint of Soto's career and the first since May 2021, when he missed two weeks with a strained left shoulder while playing for the Washington Nationals.Soto, 27, strained the calf advancing from first base to third in the first inning of the Mets' win. He was removed from the game after being forced out at home. Soto underwent an MRI on Saturday and told reporters in San Francisco that the discomfort felt similar to the left calf injury he suffered in July 2022. At that time, he left a game after five innings but returned to play the next day.Soto has played in at least 157 games over the past three seasons and in at least 150 games during his six full, non-COVID major league seasons.The four-time All-Star was off to a hot start in his second season with the Mets, going 11-for-34 with a .928 OPS in eight games. Last season, he clubbed 43 home runs with 38 steals and a .921 OPS.Jared Young started in left field for Soto on Saturday and Sunday as the Mets won both games to take the four-game series. Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty are other options to play left field during Soto's absence.The team recalled infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move Monday.The Mets are off Monday and are scheduled to begin a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Tuesday. The team moved up first pitch for Tuesday and Wednesday's games from 7:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. ET due to expected cold weather and windy conditions.
