Juan Soto was removed midway through the sixth inning of the Mets’ game against the Dodgers on Friday night due to left calf soreness, as the club later announced.
Soto started the game at designated hitter, but the Mets sent a pinch-hitter to the plate when his spot came up for the third time. The move was especially notable because the game was tied.
The star outfielder has been limited to designated-hitter duties recently because of calf discomfort, allowing the Mets to keep his bat in the lineup without requiring him to play the field.
Entering the night, Soto was slashing .283/.408/.539, leading the league in on-base percentage and posting a 161 OPS+, despite not being at full health.
The Mets have scored the fifth-fewest runs in the league, making Soto’s status going forward especially important for a lineup that has already struggled to consistently produce runs and cannot afford to lose its best offensive player for any significant period of time.
