Juan Soto is making progress in a potential return this season from his second instance of a strained calf.
Soto took live batting practice Wednesday, played catch and ran the bases ahead of the Mets-Brewers game at Citi Field. Soto last appeared in a game July 24, when he suffered a left calf strain. The superstar slugger has said he wanted to return this year, even though the Mets are well out of a playoff spot.
Interim manager Andy Green was uncertain how close Soto is to a minor league rehabilitation assignment. They want to see how the calf feels Thursday before announcing the next step.
“I put in the work. I feel I’m in a good spot,” Soto told MLB.com. “We are trying to test [the calf] and see how it feels. Definitely, we are at the point we have to see how it reacts the next day. But I feel good.
“I’ll try to be back as soon as possible and try to keep the good momentum the team is having right now. I’m trying to join that [winning atmosphere]. I would like to help in the same way.”
Green is unsure what Mark Vientos’ role will be with the Mets when he returns. Vientos is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse.
“I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs,” Green said. “I still think there’s a very bright future out there for him, if he wants to go grab a hold of it. That’s on him.
“When he gets back in the box, take advantage of the at-bats you do get and prove you deserve more at-bats. … It’s not going to be a perfectly laid path for him, though, when he does come back.”
Vientos has been out since July 9 due to a fractured right hand. So far in this rehab stint, Vientos is 0-for-8 with a walk and five strikeouts.
