Houston Astros at New York Mets

For the briefest of moments, his leg coursing in pain, Juan Soto said that “everything went through my mind.” Hopping around, trying to shake off the discomfort after fouling a ball off his leg just above his right shin guard, Soto could hardly believe his luck: two hours clear of the injured list and already hurt again. Then Soto indeed shook it off, stepped back to the plate and ripped a 100.4 mph RBI single to right. “He’s right up there with the absolute best hitters on the planet,” interim manager Andy Green said. “So it’s unsurprising that he finds his timing quicker than the rest of us do.” That was the highlight of Soto’s return from the injured list on Saturday, five weeks and a day after he strained his left calf in a game against the Dodgers. The injury was Soto’s second calf strain of the season; the first, to his right leg, shelved him for only two and a half weeks. On both occasions, Soto returned without going on a Minor League rehab assignment. In his first game back, starting at DH, Soto finished 1-for-4 in a 6-2 win over the Astros at Citi Field. “This is the longest I had ever been out,” Soto said. “Day in, day out, I was just focused to try to come back. And we actually did it.” The Mets, who have been in last place in the NL East since the start of June, have posted a 41-44 record (.482) in games that Soto played, and a 20-31 mark (.392) without him. But they have been a better team since the Trade Deadline, at one point winning 10 of 13 without Soto.​