The Mets had at least something go right for them, as Juan Soto avoided the injured list and was back in the lineup for the series finale against the Cubs after exiting Tuesday’s game with back tightness.
Carlos Mendoza hoped pregame that Soto — who also missed time earlier this season with a calf injury — would be able to play, prompting the Mets to release their starting lineup later than expected until they received some clarity. He hit third and served as the designated hitter, with MJ Melendez in left field. Mendoza, who didn’t have any clarity on when Soto could return to the outfield, was satisfied that Soto even wanted to play — as opposed to just being available as a pinch hitter after missing both games Wednesday.
“That’s a good sign,” Mendoza said before Soto went 1-for-3 with two walks during their 4-3 loss in 10 innings.
A trip to the IL would’ve been another nightmare for the Mets in a season full of them. Soto, who entered Thursday’s game with a .299 average, .965 OPS and 17 homers, has been one of the only pieces of their lineup to produce.
Francisco Lindor just returned from his calf strain Wednesday and Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disc herniation), Jorge Polanco (left Achilles bursitis, right wrist contusion) and Marcus Semien (left hip flexor strain) are all on the injured list.
The hope that Soto was only day to day turned out to be accurate.
He avoided another stint on the IL after missing 15 games in April. The Mets, for once, caught an injury break.
“He looked normal,” Mendoza said. “There was no hesitation. I mean, he was swinging as hard as possible. Normal at-bats.”
Mendoza opened his pregame press conference with a statement about his native country of Venezuela, which sustained a devastating pair of earthquakes with 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes Wednesday. At least 188 people were killed, more than 200 people were trapped and more than 1,500 people were injured, according to the Associated Press.
Before the second game of the Mets doubleheader Wednesday, Mendoza said his phone “started blowing up,” and he was able to contact his parents after initially not knowing what was going on. His family and friends — as well as the family of Mets catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens — are in a good place, Mendoza said, but the country was still navigating the aftermath of the tragedy.
“I want to send my thoughts and prayers to all the people back home in Venezuela after what we all saw [Wednesday],” Mendoza, who said he’s doing “all right” amid the earthquake. “Obviously there’s a lot of people, a baseball community that’s been affected by. Sending my thoughts and prayers there.”
Lefty Zach Thornton, who made his MLB debut last month, will pitch Friday against the Phillies with Christian Scott (right hip impingement) getting activated from the injured list to start Saturday. The decision comes after David Peterson was traded to the Cubs.
Thornton — the No. 12 Mets prospect, according to MLB Pipeline — allowed four runs on four hits while striking out three batters and walking two across 4 ¹/₃ innings against the Nationals in his lone MLB start. In 12 appearances and 11 starts for Triple-A Syracuse this season, Thornton, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has collected a 1-5 record with a 4.25 ERA.
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Lindor was out of the lineup Thursday after making his injury return Wednesday, with Mendoza acknowledging Wednesday that he’ll need to have days off mixed in before becoming an everyday player again. … Soto advanced to the second phase of All-Star voting. … Reliever Dedniel Núñez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last season, joined Single-A St. Lucie to begin a rehab assignment.
