Juan Soto diagnosed with minor calf strain

SAN FRANCISCO: New York Mets star right fielder Juan Soto has been diagnosed with a minor strain in his right calf, following an MRI on Saturday.

Soto suffered the injury Friday night while attempting to run from first to third base during the Mets’ 10-3 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Despite the scare, the MRI showed less damage than expected, surprising both Soto and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

"Right now, it's a minor strain," Soto said at Oracle Park on Saturday.

"We're going to be going day by day, see how it feels. No decisions have been made yet. We're going to see how I wake up the next couple of days and go from there.

"It's impressive what we saw on the imaging because I feel way better than yesterday. I definitely feel really good, and to see what came out on the MRI, it was surprising for me."

Mendoza observed Soto walking around the clubhouse on Saturday and said the outfielder appeared to be in good spirits. The team has not ruled out placing Soto on the injured list but hopes to avoid it.

"He's got that mild strain, but surprisingly, when I saw him earlier, the way he's walking around, just the attitude itself, he seems to be in a really good place," Mendoza said.

"That's a tricky area. We're going to have to be really, really careful with him. The good news is how he's feeling and the feedback we're getting from him."

This season, Soto has played in eight games, hitting .355 with one home run and five RBIs. The veteran outfielder is in the second year of his 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.