Juan Soto calf injury: New York Mets star to undergo MRI after early exit vs San Francisco Giants

The New York Mets finally broke through with a much-needed offensive outburst, routing the San Francisco Giants 10-3 on Friday night at Oracle Park to snap a three-game losing streak. Yet the biggest story from the victory was not the dominant performance but a concerning early exit for superstar outfielder Juan Soto due to right calf tightness.

What happened during the matchup?

Juan Soto singled in the top of the first inning and advanced to third on Bo Bichette’s RBI single. While running from first to third, he appeared to tweak his right calf. He was later forced out at home on a double-play grounder by Brett Baty. Manager Carlos Mendoza immediately replaced him with Tyrone Taylor in left field to avoid any further risk.

Concern over Juan Soto’s right calf tightness

The New York Mets will send Juan Soto for an MRI on Saturday morning to determine the severity of the injury. Calf issues can be unpredictable, and the team is taking no chances with one of baseball’s most valuable players.

“There’s obviously concern any time you send a player for an MRI, and those areas, the calf area, can be tricky,” Carlos Mendoza said. “So we’ve just got to wait.”

Juan Soto's form

Juan Soto, who entered the game hitting .355 (11-for-31) with one home run, left Oracle Park before the media entered the clubhouse. This marks his second notable calf concern, following a left calf injury in 2022 with the Washington Nationals that caused him to miss just one game.

Second baseman Marcus Semien voiced the team’s sentiment, “You never want to lose a guy like that. I don’t know how bad it is yet, but I know he works extremely hard, and he’s going to get himself back as soon as possible.”

Catcher Francisco Alvarez echoed the hope for a quick recovery while highlighting the challenge ahead: “Juan is one of the key pieces to this lineup. I think it’s unfortunate he hurt his calf, and it’s tough to play without him, but I think if guys step up, we can be OK.”

New York Mets offense shines despite Juan Soto’s early departure

Even without Juan Soto for most of the contest, the Mets’ bats came alive. They tagged former teammate Tyler Mahle for five runs in four innings and continued scoring against the Giants’ bullpen. Semien delivered a crucial two-out RBI single in the first, helping the Mets improve on their season-long struggles with runners in scoring position, and added a two-run homer to center field in the fourth for his first long ball of 2026.

Francisco Alvarez provided the power surge with two solo home runs, one in the fourth and another in the seventh, off JT Brubaker. He nearly hit a third in the eighth, but the drive died on the warning track in the spacious Oracle Park outfield.

On the mound, rookie Nolan McLean was outstanding, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning. He allowed just one hit, a sixth-inning RBI double by Willy Adames, over 5 1/3 strong innings, giving the Mets exactly what they needed in a must-win spot.