NEW YORK -- For Mets outfielder Juan Soto, it’s important to get back on the field as soon as possible. On Friday, he took steps to make that happen. Soto was seen doing several wind sprints in the outfield without any problems before New York's series opener against the Nationals at Citi Field.
There is no timetable as to when Soto will be activated from the injured list as he recovers from a left calf strain, but he vows that he will return before the season is over.
Before taking care of business on the field, Soto talked briefly about the Mets. He likes the way the team has been playing lately, as it went 6-3 during its past road trip. In fact, he is already talking about what he wants to see from the Mets for the rest of the season.
“We are playing really good baseball right now,” Soto said. “Why not try to rejoin this team? It would be really fun. It would be great for me and the team. [I want to] finish the season strong and keep the momentum for next year, too.”
Soto hasn’t played a Major League game since July 24, when he suffered the left calf strain against the Dodgers. It marked the second time this season he was placed on the injured list, with the first IL stint occurring in April when he suffered a similar injury to his right calf. In all, Soto has slashed .283/.408/.539 with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs in 84 games this season. The Mets are 40-44 when he is on the field.
Soto always answered the bell until this year, and he acknowledges it has been tough to be sidelined for 38 games entering Friday’s action.
“It’s tough for me to lose so many games. I’ve never been on this side of it,” Soto said. “I think it’s good for me -- for my career -- because it will teach me a lot of things. I have to adjust in my training [and] conditioning to keep moving forward in a positive way. I have to learn about my body a little bit more, learning how it works and go from there.”