Mets' Carlos Mendoza Provides Juan Soto Health Update After Win Against Reds
The New York Mets ended a five-game losing streak with Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, partially thanks to star outfielder Juan Soto. The 27-year-old deposited a 366-foot solo homer to right in the bottom of the first, which opened the scoring.
Soto also singled in the sixth and is now slashing .301/.392/.594 with 12 homers and 24 RBIs over 39 games. The native Dominican leads the team in homers, is second in RBIs and is third with 23 runs scored this season despite missing 17 contests thus far. He's also New York's only player with a .900-plus OPS (minimum 30 games).
Soto missed time in April with a right calf strain and left forearm tightness before sitting out on Sunday and Monday with an illness. However, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza insisted after Wednesday's game that Soto now only feels physical discomfort after swings and misses, per SNY.
"Every time he makes contact, [he 's okay]. You see him hitting off the machine here before the game, and he's taking a lot of swings," he said. "It's just when he swings and misses that he feels it, and he takes his time. We've seen it in the past few days...Then it goes away."
Carlos Mendoza says that Juan Soto only feels physical discomfort after he swings and misses: pic.twitter.com/SsyXuKICjk
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 28, 2026
Mets Can't Afford Major Juan Soto Injury
New York fans can breathe a sigh of relief for now regarding Soto, who also exited the team's game against the Detroit Tigers early on May 13 after fouling a ball off his ankle, per MLB.com. This season has been difficult enough with the four-time All-Star playing the majority of the games, and there would be little hope left if he sustained a serious injury.
The Mets lost 12 consecutive contests in April and are currently last place in the National League East at 23-33. They're 14 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first and are third-worst in the NL with a -29 run differential.
Soto is one of the few hitters that New York can rely on, as it ranks last in baseball with a .642 team OPS. On the bright side, the four-time All-MLB First Teamer is signed through 2039 with an opt-out available in 2030, per Spotrac.
Up next for the Mets is a home series against the Miami Marlins before hitting the road to face the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres. Friday's game against the Marlins starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited.
Related: Mets Announce Slew of Injury News
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 8:15 PM.