NEW YORK — After vowing to return from his latest calf injury before the end of the season, Juan Soto came back before the end of August, a full month before the New York Mets enter their offseason.Indeed, there is no playoff push that Soto is returning to help. Not with the Mets (61-75) 12 games back in the chase for the National League’s final wild card spot with 26 games left.Soto missed approximately five weeks because of a left calf strain. In April, a right calf strain cost Soto just under three weeks of action. In both cases, Soto rejoined the Mets without a rehab assignment.“It’s really frustrating to be down and not being able to help your team … to not perform out there, have fun with the boys,” Soto said after the Mets beat the Houston Astros, 6-2, on Saturday. “That keeps me motivated to be out there again.”Given the Mets’ place in the standings and the fact Soto dealt with not one, but two calf injuries, not to mention his importance to the organization’s future as their $765 million man, a valid question looms: Why bother?There are a few reasons why no one was interested in shutting Soto down. Generally speaking, healthy baseball players should play baseball. Soto returned within the timetable that interim manager Andy Green offered at the time of Soto’s injury in late July (four to six weeks); he is physically in a spot where the Mets clearly feel comfortable having him on the field.“He has pushed himself in a way that, frankly, you don’t see a lot of veterans push themselves when your team is in this type of situation that we’re in,” Green said. “That speaks volumes to his desire to be on the field.”There is also a potential upshot for next season.Soto returning from an injury late in a lost season could help set a tone for next year. The Mets want to establish a strong clubhouse culture. They are looking to build on a core of young players in their first and second years. It is important that their stars and veterans set examples.“That’s not overstating it at all,” starting pitcher Sean Manaea said. “It’s sick. It’s like a warrior mentality. A lot of guys have that. It’s basically him saying, ‘I want to be great.’ I’ve seen him do his rehab every day. If he is feeling good and wants to come back, that’s sick. Everyone here definitely appreciates the work he puts in and him wanting to come back this year.”Soto said the Mets’ 14-9 record since their selloff at the Aug. 3 trade deadline provided him some additional motivation.Also: When you’re as good at something as Soto is at hitting baseballs, you tend to want to do it. There’s nothing wrong with that, either, and it sure beats the alternative. Heading into Saturday’s game, Soto, an All-Star this season, had a .947 OPS with 21 home runs in 359 plate appearances.Of course, the Mets would look awfully silly if Soto experiences another calf issue. There is inherent risk when any player takes the field. Perhaps more so when one is coming off an injury. On the flip side, the Mets’ other choice would be to sit a star player for the final four weeks who can play. Soto, who served as the Mets’ designated hitter on Saturday, might receive an occasional day off, but for the most part, he is back to play.Ahead of his return, Soto went through multiple workouts that included live batting practice, running the bases and fielding drills.“There was a lot of work done here behind the scenes,” Green said. “It was being done in a way that he tested it, it felt good and felt confident. The training staff felt good and confident. Anyone who put eyes on it felt good and confident about how he was doing the work and what was going on.”Soto’s first plate appearance Saturday was met with a standing ovation from those who chose to show up at Citi Field. He went 1-for-4. In the fifth inning, Soto fouled a ball off his right leg, eliciting a grimace from him and attention from both an athletic trainer and Green. On the next pitch, however, Soto laced an RBI single to right field to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Soto scored from second base on Jared Young’s triple.“It’s really frustrating at the time — everything went through my mind,” Soto said with a smile when asked about taking the ball off his shin. “Definitely, I tried to stay positive, think the best way possible to get out of it. Little by little, I was getting better. I just said, f— it, I am going to try to push through it, not take too long. I gotta be out there.”Aug 30, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms