New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto cut his night short Tuesday, leaving the game against the visiting Chicago Cubs following the fourth inning because of tightness in the left side of his back.
Before exiting, Soto was spotted in the dugout with what appeared to be a heating pad strapped to him. He went 0-for-2 at the plate before calling it a night. Once he left the field, Jared Young shifted from first base to left field to cover the vacancy, while Mark Vientos stepped in at first base.
Through 61 games this season, Soto is batting .299 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. He had previously missed 15 games in April due to a strained right calf — the same stretch during which the Mets dropped 12 consecutive games and fell into an early season hole.
Soto’s early exit came while teammate Francisco Lindor was playing in his third minor league rehab game. Lindor has been sidelined since April 22 with a strained right calf and could potentially be reinstated to the active roster later this week.
