Juan Soto Returns Wednesday as Mets Try to End 11-Game Losing Streak

The New York Mets, mired in an 11-game losing streak, will get a big boost to their offense with star outfielder Juan Soto set to return to the lineup Wednesday, sources confirmed to ESPN. Soto strained his right calf during a 10-3 victory at San Francisco on April 3 -- the beginning of a four-game win streak that lifted New York to a 7-4 record. Since then, however, the Mets' offensive firepower has vanished without him. New York has scored an MLB-worst 72 runs this season, having plated two or fewer runs in nine of the 11 games during the slide. The Mets also rank 29th in OPS and 28th in wRC+ this season. They have hit just 16 home runs, good for 27th in baseball. The Mets have been outscored 62-19 and are batting just .145 with runners in scoring position during the losing streak. "We haven't hit," manager Carlos Mendoza said last week. "When you don't hit, you can look stagnant. I don't think we're stagnant. I think we're playing hard." In eight games this season, Soto is batting .355 with one home run and five RBIs. The veteran slugger is in the second season of a 15-year, $765 million deal. The 11-game skid is the longest for the Mets since they lost 11 in a row from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in 2004. Only four teams have reached the postseason after going through a double-digit losing streak, including the Cleveland Guardians last year and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. The New York Post first reported that Soto would return against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. ESPN's Jorge Castillo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.