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Baseball fans can't turn on a Mets game without hearing about the early-season struggles of Juan Soto.

The slugger who signed a massive contract this offseason has not had the year everyone projected. Entering Friday's series opener against the Rockies, Soto was hitting just .224 batting average with a .352 OBP and slugging .393. In the series prior to this weekend, a three-game set against the lowly White Sox, Soto went hitless (0-10) with a pair of walks.

Soto's troubles at the plate caused manager Carlos Mendoza to be inundated with daily questions about his slugger, and even president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked when he made himself available before Friday's game.

The messaging has always been patience; that the man who smashed 41 homers and slashed .288/.419/.569 with a .988 OPS a season ago will eventually find it. Well, while it's way too early to say Soto is back, Friday's performance could be the start of something.

Soto went 2-for-4, including an RBI double in the third inning that put the Mets up 2-0. His double snapped a 0-for-17 hitless streak.

"Feels great," Soto said of his RBI knock after the game. "Any time you come through for the team, it’s a good feeling."

Juan Soto brings in Francisco Lindor with an RBI double! pic.twitter.com/mvSy9D0DyB

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025

Soto was asked about his batting stance and how he's seemingly adjusted it to be more balanced on the lower body. The slugger acknowledged the work he's been putting in at the plate mechanically, but also working on his timing and making good decisions. Soto has notably taken more pitches in the zone, which has led to him getting behind in the count and striking out more. But it's a work in progress that, at least for one game, is paying off.

"I’ve been working a lot on my swing to try and try to figure out the best way to come through for the team," he explained. "It takes work and time. It looks a little different, but we keep working."

Aside from his two hits, Soto also made a great running catch to rob the Rockies of extra bases. Soto said he was fooled by the hitter's swing and, according to teammate Francisco Lindor, the ball carried more than it has all season, which forced the 2024 Gold Glove finalist to have to adjust on the fly.

"I made a really good adjustment. I felt like he hit it off the hand," Soto said of his catch. "When I started to see the ball fly, I realized he hit it better than I thought, had to make an adjustment and just move back."

"It was pretty cool. For a second when I looked, I didn’t think he had a chance, the ball was carrying a little more today than usual," Lindor said of Soto's catch. "I don’t think he was expecting it. He played it well."

Lindor, whose two homers lifted the Mets to a 4-2 win on Friday, knows all too well struggling as the high-profile Mets acquisition. The shortstop weathered that storm to become one of the most beloved players and was the NL MVP runner-up, and has become the de facto team captain. So like his manager and the front office, he's asked about Soto all the time, and he echoes them every time. That Soto's struggles are temporary.

"I think he’s only going to continue to climb," Lindor said. "Everybody from the outside keep saying ‘Where’s Soto? Where’s Soto?’, we’ve seen it. He’s had good at-bats weekly, overall, he ends up with good at-bats, and today, the ball fell for him. He’s going to be great. He’s going to end up with his normal numbers and hopefully from here on out, there’s more luck on his side."

"It's always good to see him and all of our guys having a good night," Mendoza said. "I thought not only at the plate but defensively -- I thought he made a nice play cutting that ball down the right field line and keeping that runner from scoring from first base with two outs, so yeah. He's going to get through it. He's too good of a hitter. Obviously, good night for him, Lindor, some of the guys, but it was good to see Soto finally getting some good results there."

Soto was asked about Stearns' comments and that he may be putting pressure on himself.

"I don’t say any pressure. I’ll say it’s more about coming through for the team," Soto said. "Everybody is hoping I come through and I want to hit for the team either way. Get some wins. I know I’ve been struggling and I haven’t been there for the team, but I will be.

"It’s a matter of time [until I stack games like today]. We don’t know when it’s going to come through. Just have to keep working on it."

Despite not getting hits, Soto drove in his sixth RBI in his last eight games after Friday. He had one in the previous nine games, so perhaps Soto has been a bit unlucky. We will all have to see what the next few games bring.

The Mets started their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on the right foot with a 4-2 win in Friday's opener at Citi Field.

Takeaways

1. Left-handerDavid Peterson did his job as he allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking one in 5.2 IP. Peterson (4-2, 2.69 ERA) threw 59 strikes on 94 pitches and was one pitch away from six shutout frames, but he appeared to miss his spot on an 0-2 offering with two outs in the sixth. Ryan McMahon turned on Peterson's 91 mph fastball over the plate's inner half and for an RBI double, making manager Carlos Mendoza turn to right-hander Huascar Brazobán. Brazobán stranded runners on second and third base when Mickey Moniak flew out to Brandon Nimmo in left field. Peterson plunking Thairo Estrada and third baseman Mark Vientos subsequently missing Brenton Doyle grounder -- both with two outs -- were bad breaks that figure to leave Peterson dwelling on not getting through six full innings, but he ultimately did his job as the Mets (35-22) took care of business against the Rockies (9-48).
2. Speaking of getting the job done, shortstop Francisco Lindor flashed his bat and glove at pivotal points in the first, third and eighth innings. Offensively, that meant three hits -- and two home runs. Batting righty, Lindor set the tone with a leadoff dinger -- his fifth such long ball of the season -- when he sent Kyle Freeland's 1-2 fastball down the middle at 92 mph over the left-center wall. Two frames later, with the bases loaded and two outs, Lindor's leaping grab of Estrada's line drive to short saved Peterson from what would have likely been a two-run double in the gap, at least. In the eighth with the Mets clinging to a 3-2 lead, Lindor batted lefty and launched Seth Halvorsen's 2-2 pitch at 89 mph just over the left-center railing for the exclamation mark. After a 4-for-25 homestand in the Mets' six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox from last Friday through Wednesday, Lindor bounced back at the plate with his three-hit evening -- it included a third-inning single -- while upping this year's homer total to 12.
3. Between Lindor's opening and closing solo shots,Juan Soto and Starling Marte gave the Mets a pair of key runs. Particularly, Soto's RBI double with two outs in third inning off Freeland was a personal boost as the Mets' offseason prize works through early-season struggles. Marte's third home run of the season, a one-out solo shot off Freeland in the fourth inning, gave the Mets and Peterson some cushion. Lindor led the charge, but the right fielder and designated hitter added key run support in moments that should not go overlooked.
4. The Mets need to take advantage of a soft run in the schedule and, despite dropping Wednesday's finale with Chicago (18-38), did what was required to open this weekend's series against Colorado. After taking two of the three-game set from the White Sox, the Mets must keep their foot on the gas pedal as they get the Rockies two more times before heading out to Los Angeles for a four-game series with the Dodgers (34-22).

Who's the MVP?

Lindor, whose offense and defense were clutch from start to finish.

Highlights

FRANCISCO LINDOR LEADOFF HOMER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/38iqd2Glgv

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 30, 2025

Francisco Lindor makes the leaping grab to end the third inning 👏 pic.twitter.com/hzQ7FyDfYA

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 30, 2025

Juan Soto brings in Francisco Lindor with an RBI double! pic.twitter.com/mvSy9D0DyB

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025

Starling Marte solo homer! 💣 pic.twitter.com/ZW7kfLuX9K

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025

TWO HOME RUNS ON THE NIGHT FOR FRANCISCO LINDOR! pic.twitter.com/dG7Qd7aLJb

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Rockies continue their series with Saturday's 4:10 p.m. matchup. Right-handers Kodai Senga (5-3, 1.46 ERA) and Antonio Senzatela (1-9, 6.50 ERA) are set to start.

Prior to the start of their three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave updates on a few players who are making their way back to the team...

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Luis Gil's first bullpen session

Boone gave an encouraging update on 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil on Friday. The young right-hander threw a 15-pitch bullpen at Dodger Stadium and everything went well, according to the Yankees skipper.

It's the first time Gil has thrown off a mound since late February when he suffered a right lat strain during spring training.

Gil's return would boost the Yankees rotation which has weathered the season-ending injury to ace Gerrit Cole. Last season, the 26-year-old went 16-8 while pitching to a 3.55 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Once Gil returns, the Yankees will have to decide whether they will go with a six-man rotation or put Ryan Yarbrough back into the bullpen as the team's long reliever.

Rehab plan for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm is currently playing third base with Double-A Somerset, and Boone wants his infielder to play another minor league game on Saturday while starting at DH on Sunday. Chisholm could return as soon as Tuesday, where he'll play third base when he does, Boone said.

Fernando Cruz update

Cruz (shoulder) will throw a live BP on Saturday and he'll likely be activated when he's eligible next week, if that goes well.

Cruz has been one of the Yankees' best relievers this season. He pitched to a 2.66 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in his 21 appearances and has saved two games. He's struck out 35 batters in only 23.2 innings pitched this season.

Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips is scheduled to get Tommy John surgery next week and will miss the rest of the season, manager Dave Roberts announced Friday.

Phillips had missed the last three weeks because of forearm discomfort — and had not progressed in his recovery despite initial optimism that he would only miss the minimum 15 days on the injured list.

“Obviously, very disappointing," Roberts said, acknowledging some unfortunate surprise that what started as a seemingly minor issue became so severe. “More disappointed for Evan, but he just wasn't responding to the rest and then try to ramp back up. Ultimately, that was kind of the advice and the route he decided to go."

Phillips, 30, started this season in the IL while recovering from a partially torn rotator cuff he suffered in last year’s postseason.

He returned in late April and made seven scoreless appearances before getting hurt during the Dodgers' trip to Miami earlier this month.

“I do feel like I can still contribute,” Phillips said at the time of his initial placement on the IL as a “precautionary” move. “But I think what it comes down to is we don’t want to mess around with something in early May.”

Read more:Shaikin: 'Another log on the fire.' Yankees eager to avenge World Series meltdown against Dodgers

The abundance of caution didn’t lead to a better result.

Despite getting plasma-rich platelet injections, according to general manager Brandon Gomes, Phillips’ arm didn’t feel right as he attempted to restart playing catch in recent days.

"As we started getting into it, it wasn't really responding,” Gomes said. “We felt like this could be a possibility. So as he got deeper into the process and it wasn't really getting better, the decision to do it was pretty much evident with our information.”

Asked if Phillips’ elbow injury might have been a byproduct of his offseason shoulder issue, Gomes shrugged.

"It's tough to go down a thousand different rabbit holes."

Without Phillips, the Dodgers will be down one of their most trusted right-handed arms in recent years. Already, the club had been without Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol because of injuries. While they’re all expected to return in the coming weeks (in Kopech and Yates’ case) and months, Phillips’ absence will nonetheless leave a hole after posting a 2.22 ERA and 45 saves over five seasons with the Dodgers.

“Any time you lose that quality of a reliever, both on the field and the impact he has around the other guys, obviously it's going to hurt,” Gomes said. “But we have a really talented group that's there right now and guys that should be coming back.”

The Dodgers have begun adding externally, acquiring former Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Díaz in a trade Thursday as the extent of Phillips’ diagnosis was becoming clear.

“Part of the Díaz trade was like, 'OK, we can potentially backfill there,'" Gomes said. “[But] that was in the works for a little while. Just kind of exploring different ways to continue to add to our depth.”

Betts out with toe injury

Shortstop Mookie Betts was not in the team’s lineup for Friday’s series opener against the New York Yankees because of a toe injury.

According to Roberts, Betts stubbed his toe after the team returned from this week’s trip on Wednesday. He was initially expected to play Friday, but had trouble putting on his cleats before the game.

Betts will get an X-ray, Roberts said, and is considered day-to-day.

“I think it was at home. It's probably a dresser, nightstand, something like that,” Roberts said of how Betts got hurt. “It's just kind of an accident.”

As for Betts’ prognosis, Roberts said, “hopefully it's benign, it's negative. Not sure, but I feel confident saying it's day-to-day. It's kind of for his tolerance. But putting on a shoe today was difficult for him."

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns held media availabilities before Friday's 7:10 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies on SNY. In addition to injury updates, there were comments on catcher Francisco Alvarez's 2025 season struggles, infielder Ronny Mauricio's hot Triple-A start and the MLB trade deadline.

Francisco Alvarez will 'continue to get opportunities'

After Luis Torrens started Wednesday's 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Alvarez returns to the lineup in the eighth spot and enters Friday slashing .243/.341/.311 with one home run and seven RBI through 22 games.

"We saw he was having a hard time against velo, but I'm going to continue to say we need him and I'm going to continue to give him chances," Mendoza said. "Yeah, Luis is playing well. But Alvy is a really good player, too.

"So, whether it's lefties, righties, he's going to continue to get opportunities and he's in there today."

The Mets activated Alvarez on April 25 from the 10-day injured list, where he was placed on March 27 due to his hamate fracture. Alvarez returned to the Mets after a rehab assignment that started April 9 with Low-A St. Lucie before progressing to Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.

"A player who made a very significant swing change in the offseason, lost all of spring training -- or almost all of spring training -- got off to a late start and has probably been fighting himself to this point," Stearns said. "I think he hasn't produced at the level he's accustomed to producing.

"He's working really hard to continue to refine his swing, to get it to a place that he feels really comfortable with, and I think we all would expect that we're going to see better production going forward than what we've seen in his relatively brief stint since he's come off the IL."

Ronny Mauricio 'hitting lasers'

Through seven games with Triple-A Syracuse, Mauricio is slashing .560/.586/.960 with three home runs and seven RBI.

What does Mauricio, who missed the 2024 season with a torn right ACL before starting this year with St. Lucie and Syracuse, have to do for a look?

"He's doing a great job," Stearns said. "No. 1 is health and getting him back and building up the volume, and we're continuing to do that. But any time you see players consistently hitting lasers all over the field, which is what he's doing right now in Triple-A, you pay attention. We're paying attention and we'll continue to monitor that and see where it goes."

"I think we're most focused on him getting the reps under him, getting the volume, hopefully continuing to swing a really hot bat," Stearns added. "Once we get to that point, he gives us something to think about."

2025 MLB trade deadline

July 31 at 6 p.m. is still two months away, but moves are already being made. This week, the Cincinnati Reds traded 2023 All-Star reliever Alexis Diaz, Edwin Diaz's brother, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With a good chunk of the big leagues appearing to be unlikely for postseason contention, Stearns was asked about his thoughts on whether the trade deadline could move earlier than normal.

"I haven't seen anything yet or heard anything yet that makes me suggest that's going to be an unusually early period, but that can certainly change if one club decides that they want to engage early and could spur action," he said. "But to this point, it certainly seems that that's going to be a little bit more of a traditional, later-in-the-process-type deadline."

SNY's Andy Martino is responding to and breaking down answers to Mets questions from readers. Here's the latest...

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Is there anything under the hood about the Mets' approach with runners in scoring position this season that you observed/have found out from your reporting that has led to their poor numbers? What, if any, changes do you expect to see to remedy this? - @John_Uhen

Because you asked this fine question, I relayed it to David Stearns during his media availability. Better to hear from him than me, right? Here’s the exchange:

Little ol’ me: Do you have a personal belief on the runners in scoring position issue generally -- that it's statistical randomness, or if there's something about an approach? When you have a team that's struggling with that for a period, is there anything that can be done, or is it just one of those things that resolves itself?

Stearns: I think there is a skill in slowing down the moment, and I think there is a skill in handling pressure. And in putting yourself in the best frame of mind to succeed in those moments when the intensity is a little higher. Once you do all of that, I think the result is still somewhat random, and there are still smaller sample sizes by nature with runners in scoring position.

With that said, we clearly have not been good in that spot over the course of the year, and more recently, over the last 10 days, two weeks. And so I do think we have to start from the position of, is there something we can control? Is there something we can look at to get better? We're certainly doing that work, that investigation. Our players are extremely aware of this. And sometimes you wonder, is that actually a good thing or a bad thing to be as aware of this as they all are?

So yes, I think performing in high-pressure situations is a skill that can be learned and improved over time and with experience.

Juan Soto should lead off. Thoughts? - @GF1134755

It’s a logical thought, but Lindor might have something to say about it. He does awfully well in that spot, too.

Which team smells better the Mets or the Yankees - @sotoobsessedNYY

The smells of the locker room are typically sweat, cologne and sometimes Icy Hot. Neither the Yankees nor the Mets hold a clear advantage in this space.

RONNY MAURICIO!!!!

We got a ton of Ronny Mauricio questions. Like, where will he fit? This will resolve itself. Not every prospect pans out, and if Mauricio turns out to be among those who does stick, someone else won't. The Mets have depth on their side here. He’s not yet physically ready to play in the big leagues, the Mets say.

SNY's Andy Martino is responding to and breaking down answers to Yankees questions from readers. Here's the latest...

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You think the Yanks are getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. reps at 3B because they think the 2B market at the deadline might have more options than 3B does? - @MaxMannis

Yes. That is exactly the reason. And an under-discussed aspect of this story is how admirably team-first Chisholm is acting in this situation. It stretches back to last summer, when he learned the nuances of a difficult position during a pennant race and postseason. Even into October, Chisholm was still working to master the cuts, relays and other aspects of a job that he had never before done.

Asked again this year by the manager -- who knows firsthand how difficult it is to play third base at a high level -- to leave a more comfortable spot at second base, Chisholm is doing it. As a result, the Yankees have the option to trade for a middle infielder.

It’s hard to imagine how on earth this guy left Miami with anything other than a sterling reputation.

Will the Yankees' concerns about the luxury tax cause them to move salary in order to take back significant salary at the trade deadline? - @FrankLo9

It’s true that the Yankees' post-Juan Soto spree left them at the limits of their willingness to spend. In fact, it was no sure thing that they would stretch for Paul Goldschmidt until folks in baseball operations made a strong case for doing so.

But that was the offseason budget. Teams almost always leave payroll in reserve for the trade deadline, and the Yankees are always aggressive when they feel they have the chance to win. I would not expect that to change in a year in which a championship is a reachable goal.

I know you have reported on this before, but any updates on Cashman’s future with the Yankees? Contract is up after next season - @Rick12_85

That’s true, I reported in my book last year that many of Brian Cashman’s colleagues expect this contract to be his last as GM. I asked Cashman directly about it before writing that, and he would not confirm or deny.

Admittedly, I have not followed up with him recently. But I can tell you that the general expectation among many of those around him remains the same. It does not mean that anything is settled, but Cashman believes that he has plenty of “pretty f---ing good” people in the office group who could serve as heirs.

As previously reported, VP of player development Kevin Reese is seen internally as a leading candidate. Cashman also holds a high opinion of assistant GM Michael Fishman and director of baseball operations Matt Ferry. He’ll almost certainly have a strong voice in naming a successor, whenever that day comes.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns held media availabilities before Friday's 7:10 p.m. game against the Colorado Rockies on SNY. Injury updates from them on right-handers Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas, left-hander Sean Manaea and outfielder Jose Siri are below.

Paul Blackburn joining six-man rotation

Blackburn, whom the Mets placed on the injured list in late March due to right knee inflammation, is entering New York's starting rotation as the sixth man and will do so during next week's four-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We're going to insert the six-man rotation and he's pretty much in play there for the L.A. series," Mendoza said.

The Mets go west for a seven-game road trip that begins with Monday's 10:10 p.m. opener in Los Angeles.

"No, not yet," Mendoza said of if he knew when Blackburn would start. "But it'll be one of those games there."

When asked if right-hander Kodai Senga (scheduled to pitch on Saturday) would start next Friday's 7:10 p.m. opener at the Colorado Rockies, Mendoza said that he had "to check with" pitching coachJeremy Hefner.

"We're working through some of those things," Mendoza said.

Stearns later added context on whether the Mets would keep a six-man rotation.

"I don't think we're going to commit to exclusively a six-man rotation the rest of the way," Stearns said. "I think we'll do what makes sense within the constructs of our schedule. We'll do it when we have these stretches of 15, 16, 18 games in a row that pop up throughout the course of a season.

"But I would imagine, as we have done so far this year, we're going to continue to swing back and forth for a little while between six and five depending on what our schedule looks like, how our guys are feeling -- do they need the extra rest, do they not need the extra rest. It's an ongoing conversation. We're probably going to take it turn by turn."

The Mets are set to play 10 games in a row from Friday through next Sunday, June 10.

Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas 'progressing well'

Manaea (right oblique strain), who has been on the injured list since late March, was scheduled to throw a live batting practice Thursday with Siri set to be among the opposing hitters.

"I think both are progressing well," Stearns said of Manaea and Montas. "Obviously, Frankie [is] out on his rehab assignment. We still have a ways to go to get his volume up and built up, but that middle segment of June, I think, is still realistic. I think Sean's behind that. In terms of how that fits into our team and rotation, we'll tackle that when we get there."

Montas (right lat strain), who has also been on the injured list since late March, began his rehab assignment this past Saturday with High-A Brooklyn.

Jose Siri's return unclear

Siri, who played 10 games before the Mets placed him on the 10-day injured list April 17 due to a left tibia fracture, has a "very difficult" return time frame at this point.

"He's still in his running progression volume buildup, so very difficult for me at this point for me to really even estimate when he's going to be back," Stearns said. "We need to make sure that the running form and the volume are in a place where he's not going to reinjure himself by going out to the outfield and playing baseball, and where just not at that point yet.

"I'm not certain we're all that close to that, so we've got a little bit of time. Once he gets on a rehab assignment, gets some volume back under his belt, we can begin to have a discussion about what that looks like from a role perspective and how it fits on a team. But we're not at that point yet, so we're not even having those discussions yet."

Juan Soto was the talk of the offseason and spring training after signing with the Mets on a massive deal last winter. And the slugger has been the talk of this season after he has gotten off to a slow start and is in a slump for the first time in some time.

“I honestly don’t have a like ‘this is the issue’ that he needs to fix to get better,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said during a news conference Friday ahead of the Mets opening a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

“I think he’s taking pretty good at-bats, he’s controlling the strike zone pretty well," Stearns continued. "He’s hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past. I think that’s something that he’s aware of. But telling yourself, ‘Hey, I need to hit the ball in the air more,’ doesn’t immediately translate to hitting the ball in the air more.

“Do I think he’s trying to do a little too much right now? Yeah, I think he’s probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza sees it as just a matter of time before Soto gets going.

“We’ve seen it pretty much every day he’s hitting a couple balls hard. The results haven’t been there, but he’s gonna get going,” Mendoza said Friday. “Every day I sit here, you look at the numbers, he’s gonna get going here pretty soon.

The skipper added he hasn’t felt the need recently to have a conversation with Soto about his hitting: “He knows he’s in a good place. Treat him the same way I treat the other guys, too.”

Stearns doesn’t believe Soto is struggling with confidence, saying, “I think there’s frustration, sure, but I have not sensed a confidence issue.”

Stearns called it a “very unique position” for Soto, but there is a track record of players changing organizations and making big changes in their careers, taking a bit of time to adjust before turning it on, and is “very confident” Soto will soon come good.

“Maybe it will take a bloop or a couple bloops,” he said. “Or maybe it takes him connecting on one or two to exhale a little bit, but I would imagine it is difficult when the results don’t come.”

When it comes to possibly easing some of the pressure on Soto, the Mets' top baseball man said the only thing he can do is to "continue to support him." But even he admitted that could have a limit in its effectiveness.

"I don’t know how much pressure that eases," Stearns said. "He’s gonna put the pressure on himself. He's not feeling the pressure because of the things around him, I don't think. He's a highly competitive person who expects a lot of himself, who wants to win. And so when he’s not performing up to a level he's accustomed to, he's gonna put pressure on himself to do that."

While the slumping Soto still has posted a .745 OPS, good for an above-average 121 OPS+ and 113 wRC+, those numbers are well below his averages and what was expected after he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal in December.

The connection between his play and the pressure of expectation after signing a big contract isn’t far from the Mets’ minds. 

“I also understand it is natural when a player signs a big contract – and this was a really big contract – if the results aren’t immediate, there are going to be questions and there are going to be reactions,” Stearns said. “And I completely get that, Juan does too.”

Despite Soto’s rotten run at the plate, the Mets have posted a .607 winning percentage through 56 games and are 2.0 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the NL and the division lead. And Soto has done his part to lift the team.

“He’s still helping us win games,” Stearns said of Soto. “I’m aware that the OPS isn’t where he would want it, it’s not where we would want it, it’s not where our fans would want it. I get that.  But I can say it’s not for lack of work behind the scenes, he’s working, he’s trying. He certainly wants results at a higher level than what we’ve seen so far. I’m pretty confident we’re going to get those.”

Mendoza said the one thing you can control as a hitter is “getting a good pitch, putting a good swing, and hitting the ball hard.”

“After that, you can’t control where they’re playing, how they’re positioned,” the manager said, adding, “you control the strike zone, which [Soto] is elite at doing that, and hitting the ball hard, which he’s elite at doing that, too.

“He’s just gotta stay the course, ‘cause if he keeps doing that, the numbers are gonna be there at the end of the year.”

A concern with Soto’s elite batting eye is the double-edged sword of patience: Is he too often taking a good pitch to hit?

“Part of elite plate discipline is swinging at pitches that you can do damage on… Are there at-bats where he’s let some pitches go where he could probably do some damage? Yeah, I think there probably are,” Stearns said. “I think as he gets more comfortable at the plate, he’ll be able to pull the trigger on those.”

Related to the issue of Soto’s increased ground-ball rate – up 8.9 percent to 52.5 percent for the 2025 season – has been double-plays as he has matched his total of 10 from last year in just y games.

Stearns sees it as a combination of the elevated number of ground balls, having a lot of players on base ahead of him (a 4.8 percent increase in at-bats with runners on compared to last year), and some well-documented “batted-ball misfortune.” But don’t expect that trend to last forever:  “We’re a third of the way through the season, he has 10 double plays, I would hammer the under on 30 double-plays over the course of the season.”

With the Mets entering a stretch of 16 games over 17 days beginning with games over the next 10 straight days, is there value in giving Soto a day off or could that be counterproductive? Those conversations have been had internally, Sterans said, and “we don’t know.”

“What we do know is that we have a player who is really competitive who wants to play,” Stearns said, noting Soto did get a day out of the lineup before on an off-day two weeks back. “But Juan wants to play. He wants to be out there, he wants to compete, he’s not shying away from this. And so I think sending him out there more often than not is probably the right thing to do.”

Report sheds light on Red Sox' awkward approach with Devers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Rafael Devers has thrived this season as the Boston Red Sox’ designated hitter, but moving him off third base has caused an unexpected headache for the organization.

Devers initially scoffed at the idea of switching from third to DH after the Alex Bregman signing. He later reluctantly accepted the change, but not before sitting out most of spring training and struggling mightily (0-for-19, 15 strikeouts) to begin the 2025 campaign.

Since then, Devers has grown comfortable with the role and regained his reputation as one of the game’s best hitters. But following first baseman Triston Casas’ season-ending injury on May 3, he was given another reason to voice his displeasure with the front office.

Devers called out chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for asking him to replace Casas at first base. His shocking candidness prompted Breslow, team owner John Henry, and president/CEO Sam Kennedy to meet with him in Kansas City to sort out their issues.

The meeting didn’t convince Devers to move to first base. Instead, with backup Romy Gonzalez also injured, the club has primarily used a combination of Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard at the position.

A new report from MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam sheds more light on how those conversations with Devers went. According to Cotillo and McAdam, the Red Sox’ strategy of having Breslow — not manager Alex Cora — approach the veteran slugger about the potential position change was “deliberate” to protect Devers and Cora’s relationship.

“One industry source recently offered that the strategy was deliberate with the Red Sox purposefully having Breslow — and not Cora — approach Devers about trying first base,” Cotillo and McAdam wrote.

“The idea, the source said, was that if Devers responded unfavorably to the request — as he quickly did — the long-standing, strong relationship between player and manager wouldn’t be negatively impacted and the team could still have Cora preserve an open line of communication with the club’s highest-paid and longest-tenured member.”

Ironically, the Red Sox were left looking for help at third base when Bregman went down with a quad injury on May 23. Cora noticeably didn’t mention Devers while naming potential third base reinforcements.

Top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer was called up to the big-league club the next day and has since played six games at third. Devers is unlikely to return to his natural position, as Breslow told MassLive he hasn’t asked him to move back.

“Trying to be sensitive and respectful of the conversations that went into moving him off of third base initially,” Breslow told MassLive.com. “We recognize that there’s a balance here between needing to do what we need to do that’s best for the team and also, trying to provide some stability. All of these are conversations with no finality, but at this point, we’re feeling like it makes more sense to have somebody like Marcelo there.”

It sounds like Devers will be staying put at DH, and if he continues to hit the way he has through 58 games, it’s hard to argue against the status quo. The three-time All-Star has a .287/.409/.523 slash line with 12 homers and an American League-leading 50 RBI.

Although Devers won’t be playing first any time soon, a change is coming soon. Rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell has taken practice reps at first base and is expected to make his first career start there on Sunday in Atlanta.

Phillies prospect updates: Andrew Painter's timeline, Mick Abel keeping it up originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies have used the term “July-ish” as the target for top prospect Andrew Painter’s MLB debut and integration into the rotation but it is unlikely to come before the second half begins on July 18.

The All-Star break is from July 14-18 this year and that will be the period when the Phillies back off Painter and give him a bit more time to recuperate.

“I don’t think so,” manager Rob Thomson said Friday when asked if Painter’s arrival could come before the break.

Painter threw a career-high 81 pitches on Thursday in Norfolk, allowing two runs and striking out five over five innings. The Tides’ lineup included last year’s AL Rookie of the Year runner up, Colton Cowser, and 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg. Cowser doubled off Painter all three times he faced him while the rest of the team had two hits.

“Very good, velocity at 98, 99, they said he threw the ball really well,” Thomson said. “Breaking ball was good, got his pitch count up.

“He’s right at where we want him.”

Painter’s next start will be Wednesday at Charlotte, the Triple A affiliate of the White Sox. The plan is a pitch count around 85, and if Painter’s efficient they’d feel comfortable letting him complete six innings.

“Health, that’s it,” Thomson said when asked what more Painter needs to show in the minors.

The 22-year-old right-hander already looks like a major-league pitcher with a build similar to Justin Verlander. The No. 5-ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, Painter has a 2.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings at Triple A and owns a 1.83 ERA with 199 K’s in 138 innings overall in the minors. Silly numbers.

When the Phillies add Painter to the 40-man roster and call him up in July, he’ll start, he won’t relieve. It’s too soon for anyone with the Phillies to discuss how the rotation will be adjusted because it’s still more than six weeks away. Going to a six-man staff would be one obvious solution but only if it can be formatted in a way to not give the starters, notably Zack Wheeler, too much rest.

Abel still dialed in

Mick Abel made another strong start at Triple A on Friday night, allowing an unearned run over 4⅔ innings with eight strikeouts.

Abel has a 1.08 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 41⅔ innings across his last seven starts, one of which was a scoreless win in his MLB debut over the Pirates.

The 23-year-old continues to push for a spot in the Phillies’ rotation, which didn’t seem realistic just a few months ago. He was coming off of years of control problems and though he was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in December, Abel was behind the five members of the big-league rotation plus Taijuan Walker.

But he’s put together the strongest run of his life. Abel hasn’t solved the walks issue but he’s pitching around them better than ever and allowing weaker contact than ever.

“It really helps because you know you’ve got Painter coming and now you’ve got this other guy who showed it on a pretty big stage (in his debut),” Thomson said last week.

“He (went) right back to Triple A and a lot of times you’ll see that guys who go back, they have an adrenaline dump and they don’t pitch well or stay focused, but he did. That’s a good sign.”

Walker and Nola

Walker did not pitch well on Friday against the Brewers, allowing four runs in four innings on 89 pitches. He will move to the bullpen once Aaron Nola returns from a right ankle sprain. Nola won’t be returning this week, but the Phillies could still, if they deem it worthwhile, move Walker to the bullpen sooner and call Abel up mid-week when he’s ready to make his next start. They could also just keep things status quo with Walker in the rotation until Nola is ready and hope that Abel continues to build confidence and trade value at Triple A.

Nola has been sidelined since May 15 with the ankle sprain. He will throw his first full bullpen session on Sunday, 45 to 50 pitches. The Phillies will still want to see him go through fielding drills and potentially live batting practice before he begins a rehab assignment, which could be short.