Breaking: Juan Soto Injury Update Ignites Yankees’ Momentum Ahead of Subway Series

NEW YORK—Juan Soto’s bat is heating up again, and the New York Mets are reaping the rewards. The superstar right fielder launched his 15th homer of the season on Saturday night, a 110-mph rocket to right that capped a barrage of three straight Mets long balls in the third inning against Philadelphia, flipping a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Soto’s latest blast continues a torrid June in which the 26-year-old is slashing .340/.521/.736 with six homers, 18 runs scored and an OPS north of 1.250, a surge that has vaulted him back into the National League MVP conversation. Even more impressive: he owns MLB’s lowest chase rate in 2025, underscoring the plate discipline that has defined his young career. Saturday’s fireworks were a painful reminder for fans across town. According to a report from USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale, the Yankees thought they had a deal in place to keep Soto in pinstripes last December, only to see him shock the baseball world by signing a 12-year pact with the Mets instead. The Bronx Bombers have paid for that miscalculation: in this year’s Subway Series opener, Yankee pitching kept him quiet, yet the Mets still stole a 3-2 victory, and Soto’s season OPS against his former suitors sits at .982. Behind the numbers lies a subtle mechanical tweak. Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez revealed that Soto has inched his hands closer to his body at launch, shortening the path to the ball and allowing him to tap into opposite-field power—precisely what he displayed on the go-ahead homer Saturday. “He’s seeing everything, laying off spin, and when pitchers finally come in the zone, it’s getting hammered,” Chavez said. The Mets, winners of eight of their last ten, now sit two games up in the NL East as they head into a three-game set with the Braves. Soto will carry a 4.3 fWAR into that showdown, trailing only Ronald Acuña Jr. among NL position players. If his June tear holds, projections have him flirting with the third 8-win season of his career—an achievement that would all but guarantee the first MVP trophy missing from his résumé. Fantasy managers and Mets faithful alike should circle July 4 on their calendars: Soto owns a lifetime 1.128 OPS on Independence Day, and Citi Field is expecting a sellout. With the Yankees’ front office still nursing its misread and the Mets looking like legitimate contenders, Juan Soto’s star power is set not just to dominate highlight reels but also to keep driving massive search interest through the heart of summer 2025.