Mets’ Juan Soto Avoids Serious Injury After Scare in San Diego
Juan Soto gave Mets fans a collective heart attack on Tuesday night—and then a sigh of relief. After fouling a ball directly off the top of his left foot in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 7–1 loss to the Padres, Soto crumpled to the ground. In visible pain, the right fielder bounced on his right leg several times trying to stay upright, then dropped to a knee in front of the batter’s box as Mets trainer Joe Golia and manager Carlos Mendoza sprinted out of the dugout.
Juan Soto was visited by the Mets’ athletic trainers after fouling a ball off his leg.
Soto finished the at-bat and grounded out. pic.twitter.com/sgtJjtz45j
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025
Following several minutes of evaluation and pain-point testing, Soto stayed in to finish his at-bat. He made solid contact, lining a ball up the middle—but Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth robbed him of a hit with a diving stop, and Soto visibly labored down the line, jogging with a pronounced limp.
Mendoza pulled him from the game before the bottom half of the inning.
X-rays Negative, Considered Day-to-Day
The Mets confirmed postgame that Soto had suffered a left foot contusion. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative, ruling out any fracture.
Carlos Mendoza says that initial X-rays were negative on Juan Soto and he is considered day-to-day: pic.twitter.com/rCE5naMF0h
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025
“He’s pretty sore, but we took X-rays and they came back negative, so that’s good news,” said Mendoza postgame. “We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow to see if he’s going to be available for the lineup or even a player for us at some point in the game.” There are no plans for additional imaging. The focus is on managing swelling and reassessing his mobility Wednesday morning. Soto, who hasn’t hit the injured list since 2021, wasn’t overly concerned.
“I think it’s going to be good. I think we’re going to be good. We’ve just got to get the swelling down”
Juan Soto talks about his foot contusion and what comes next for him in recovering from it: pic.twitter.com/eYrpVOz7ez
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025
“I think we’re going to be good,” Soto said, wearing a compression sock on his left foot. “We’ve just got to get the swelling down. Whenever the swelling is down, I think we’re going to be fine.”
“Tough Moment,” But the Mets Can Breathe Again
The swing itself didn’t cause the issue—but attempting to push off that left foot while trying to run post-contact did.
“It was a tough moment,” Soto said. “When I swung the last moment, I tried to run and tried to push off and couldn’t do it. We’ll just take our time and see how it goes, but at the end we decided not to keep pushing on it.”
What is Juan Soto’s pain level right now?
“It’s actually numb. I don’t feel anything right now” pic.twitter.com/UrjFwTmjTF
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025
Though he reported feeling “numb more than sore,” Soto added the foot was already beginning to stiffen after the game. With a quick turnaround Wednesday afternoon and a travel day Thursday, the Mets will likely proceed cautiously and aim to have Soto available for their homestand opener against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Citi Field.
“Not a good feeling,” Mendoza said of watching Soto hit the deck. “You’re kind of just holding your breath there. And then once I got the news, obviously a sense of relief.”
What This Means for the Mets
Soto, in the first year of a 15-year, $765 million contract, has slotted into the three-hole and been the engine of this Mets’ offense—batting .248 with 25 home runs, 62 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and an .870 OPS through 107 games. The club has already weathered injuries from Francisco Alvarez, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and more. Losing Soto would have been a brutal gut punch for a team still neck-and-neck with the Phillies in the NL East.
With him listed as day-to-day, Mendoza has some flexibility. Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor, and Luisangel Acuña all saw time across the outfield on Tuesday. Acuña even made a slick sliding catch in center to take away a hit from Xander Bogaerts.
“I Think We’re Going to be Good”
The Mets will re-evaluate Soto ahead of Wednesday’s series finale in San Diego, with swelling serving as the primary factor in his short-term availability. X-rays confirmed no structural damage, and barring any setbacks, the team is optimistic a stint on the injured list won’t be necessary. For now, Soto is considered day-to-day—an outcome that brings far more relief than concern.
