New York Mets Mike Puma Impact of Juan Soto’s return could provide impetus for Mets change —one way or another By Mike Puma Published April 22, 2026, 8:05 p.m. ET Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) and designated hitter Juan Soto (22) run in the outfield before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Brad Penner-Imagn Images Juan Soto alone can’t fix this mess, but he’s potentially a significant part of the solution.
The Mets’ best player returned to the lineup Wednesday after 2 ½ weeks away, and if there was a different kind of hope this would be the night the team’s losing streak concluded it was simply because of Soto’s presence in his customary No. 2 hole.
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It’s a lineup that hadn’t started clicking when Soto strained his right calf running the bases in San Francisco on April 3 and then teased everybody for a few days into believing the Mets could survive without him.
