Juan Soto Avoids Disaster, Keeps Mets Alive in NL East

It has been a brutal season so far for the New York Mets, but don't count them out in the National League East yet.

The Mets took down the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday to improve to 17-25 on the season. New York has now won two in a row and six of its last 10 overall. This is a step in the right direction for a team that has had a tough season overall to this point.

Even with the win on Wednesday, there was a lot of fear for the organization. Mets superstar Juan Soto was forced to exit the team's contest against the Tigers after fouling a ball of his foot/ankle.

The Mets Got Some Good News On Juan Soto

May 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a single during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

MJ Melendez is pinch-hitting for Juan Soto in the 7th inning.

Soto fouled a ball off his ankle in the 3rd inning but completed his at-bat, and also took his at-bat in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/1BFVDufczS
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2026

Fortunately, ESPN's Jorge Castillo reported that Soto's X-rays came back negative and that he's day-to-day.

"X-rays on Juan Soto’s right foot were negative, Carlos Mendoza said. He’s day-to-day. The Mets avoid the worst," Castillo wrote.

The Mets are in last place in the NL East by far right now. The Atlanta Braves are in first place and the Mets are 12 1/2 games back. The Mets are seven games out of a Wild Card spot right now. It's early, but it's hard to believe any team would be able to dig itself out of a hole much bigger than that. If the Mets lost Soto to a serious injury on Wednesday, that would be the nail in the coffin. When he missed time earlier in the season, the Mets went 3-12. That was the difference on the season so far for New York.

So, the fact that the Mets are starting to turn things around in general and Soto is day-to-day means that they aren't out of the mix in the division. Outside of the Braves at the top, the rest of the group is pretty close together. The Washington Nationals are in second place with just 21 wins. The Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins both have just 20 wins. The Mets have 17 on the season. It will take time to close the gap, but it's not like the season is over.

Again, if Soto's X-ray had come back with something more serious, this conversation would be different. Instead, the Mets aren't out of the mix. Between now and the fall, New York has time to inch closer in the NL East and Wild Card races.

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