Juan Soto is back in the New York Mets' lineup — and boy do they need him. The star slugger was reinstated from the 10-day injured list with the reeling Mets on a 12-game losing streak heading into Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Soto, who missed 15 games with a right calf strain, was set to bat second as the designated hitter.
To open a roster spot, third-string catcher Hayden Senger was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Tuesday night's 5-3 loss to Minnesota. New York (7-16) had been outscored 67-22 during the skid while batting .194 with a .284 slugging percentage. The slide began with a 7-2 loss to Arizona on April 8.
Soto exited early from a 10-3 victory at San Francisco on April 3, and the Mets won their next three games without him before descending into a tailspin. It's their longest slide since losing 12 straight games in August 2002. New York had not dropped 13 in a row since a 15-game skid in August 1982.
The club record is 17 consecutive defeats during the franchise's inaugural season in 1962. Reporting by the Associated Press.