NEW YORK — The New York Mets opened their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon still adjusting to the loss of Juan Soto, who was placed on the 10-day injured list during Monday’s off day with a right calf strain. The club said Soto is expected to miss two to three weeks, a significant absence for a lineup that has leaned on his power and on-base presence.
Tuesday’s matchup at Citi Field (first pitch 4:10 p.m. ET) will be the first meeting between the teams this season. Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Mets in his third start of the year. Peralta is 1-0 with a 4.36 ERA after his last outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven across 5 1/3 innings. Zac Gallen, a New Jersey native, draws the start for Arizona; he is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and blanked the Detroit Tigers over six innings in his last turn on April 1.
The Mets enter the series riding a three-game winning streak and fresh off a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, but Soto’s injury presents an immediate challenge. New York has already had two full games without him and found some short-term answers: role players like Tyrone Taylor and Jared Young provided timely offense — Taylor blasted a three-run homer Saturday and Young recorded his first three-hit game Sunday. The club will be looking for continued contributions from those depth pieces while Soto rehabs.
Soto’s placement on the 10-day IL effectively sidelines him for at least the series with Arizona and likely through a road trip that follows. The Mets provided the two- to three-week recovery estimate, but no update on a corresponding roster move was included in the team’s announcement. The timing places a premium on the Mets’ depth and on Peralta delivering quality innings to help offset whatever drop-off the lineup may experience without the All-Star outfielder.
Arizona’s Gallen poses a tough assignment for the Mets’ hitters; his recent outing showed the command and efficiency the Diamondbacks hope will anchor their staff. For New York, stabilizing the rotation and maintaining the recent offensive spark from bench players will be critical to keep pace while Soto is sidelined. Peralta’s ability to miss barrels and go deeper into games would give the offense more opportunities to make adjustments against Arizona’s bullpen.
With the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, attention will be on how the Mets reconstruct their batting order and how quickly their supporting cast can cover for Soto’s absence. The club’s early-season momentum and a productive outing from Peralta could help blunt the immediate impact of the injury, but the next couple of weeks will be a clearer indicator of how the Mets adapt without one of their primary run producers.