Juan Soto (calf) expects to return to Mets' lineup this year

NEW YORK -- Mets outfielder Juan Soto said he does not know when he will return from his latest calf injury, but he emphasized he "100%" expects to play again this season even though the team's chances for a postseason berth are squandered.

"Our focus is on this year," Soto said. "My focus is right now and what we can do right now today. Go day by day, try to help my team as much as I can. I'm hurt right now but hoping to be back soon and try to help as much as I can."

Soto had been playing with nagging discomfort in the calf for a week going into Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite the Mets' last-place standing and exited the game in the sixth inning after aggravating the injury running the bases.

The Mets' lone All-Star, Soto was one of the most durable players in the majors before this season, missing 52 games and landing on the injured list three times over his first seven full major league campaigns. This year has been different with Soto going on the IL twice due to calf strains in each leg. He missed nearly three weeks in April with a right calf strain. This time, he's dealing with a more severe left calf strain -- diagnosed as Grade 2 -- that is expected to sideline him until September.

"I feel like we have really good strength coaches here and trainers that have just been helping me," Soto, 27, said. "It's just weird, weird for me that I've been hurt these couple of times and on the IL. I don't remember the last time I was twice on the IL in one year. But we just got to figure out what is going on, what is happening, and move forward with it."

Soto's setback surfaced with the Mets poised to unload several veterans by next Monday's trade deadline. The list of players who could be traded includes five impending free agents -- right-handed starters Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, left-handed relievers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley, and outfielder Tyrone Taylor -- and potentially players with club control beyond 2027 including outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and right-handed relievers Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban.

The Mets began Monday's series opener against the first-place Atlanta Braves with the third-worst record in the majors despite carrying baseball's second-highest payroll.

"It's tough, it's tough," Soto said. "It's been a tough season. It's been a lot of ups and downs. It's frustrating. It's tough in this situation, in this moment. We never expected to be in this kind of spot right now."

Soto has been one of the scarce positives for the club in his second season on a record-breaking, $765 million contract. After finishing third in NL MVP voting last year, he's batting .283 with 21 home runs and a .947 OPS that ranks third in the majors.

The latest setback means another top-three MVP finish is unlikely, and there will be little to play for down the stretch with the Mets' chances of missing the postseason for the second straight year at 99.5%, according to FanGraphs. The organization could take the cautious approach and avoid having Soto risk further injury, but the player and team expect him back on the field again in 2026.

"We think the timelines line up that there's enough of a season left, that it's worthwhile getting your best players back on the field and go win baseball games," Mets interim manager Andy Green said. "One, the fans that show up deserve to see the best that we have available, and he's the best that anybody has available. So once he gets to that spot, it's about the pride in New York and the pride in the team and going out to win the baseball games that you have left to play."br/]