Mets' Soto exits early, will have MRI on right calf

SAN FRANCISCO -- New York Mets slugger Juan Soto left Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning because of right calf tightness and is scheduled for an MRI on Saturday.

"There's obviously concern," manager Carlos Mendoza said after his team's 10-3 win. "The calf area could be tricky. We've just got to wait, but there's obviously concern."

Soto singled off Tyler Mahle in the top of the first inning and appeared to slow up while going from first to third on Bo Bichette's run-scoring single.

"He felt something," Mendoza said. "As he was standing at third base, he continued to get tight."

Soto was forced out at home plate when Brett Baty grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, and Tyrone Taylor replaced Soto in left field for the bottom of the first.

The 27-year-old Soto is in the second season of a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets. He had 43 homers and 105 RBIs while playing in 160 games last season.

A four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger award winner, Soto has played at least 150 games six times in his eight major league seasons before this one. The only times he didn't were the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and his rookie year with the Washington Nationals in 2018, when he was called up on May 20. He hasn't been on the injured list since early in the 2021 season with the Nationals.

Soto has hit safely in all eight Mets games this season. He entered Friday with a .282 career batting average and 245 home runs.

He has also played for the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees.