The Mets’ 2025 season wasn’t just bad, it was filled with rumors of clubhouse drama. The biggest clue was Juan Soto taking a subtle jab at Francisco Lindor’s potential captaincy. Although no one confirmed the friction, fans were convinced the team was not getting along. However, the Mets’ historic slump in 2026 might be forcing the clubhouse to come as one.
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The Mets currently have a dismal 10-20 record in the NL East. With Lindor out with a left calf strain, the Mets’ offense has completely crashed to the bottom of the league. Despite the old rumors, Soto didn’t hesitate to admit how much the team is missing their star shortstop.
“I think it’s really tough seeing a player like that, a true superstar like Francisco, who impacts the game both offensively and defensively,” Soto said. “He’s exactly the kind of talent any team would love to have in their lineup every single day. It’s unfortunate what happened to him, but we’re all hoping and praying for a full and speedy recovery. We’ll be right here waiting for him.”
Lindor had been struggling at the plate since the opening game this year. Before getting sidelined, he was batting .226 with two homers. He even made a few defensive errors like the one against the Athletics, where instead of breaking toward second base to start an easy double play, he misread the play and moved to his right, failing to cover second.
However, his grit was never in question. He hurt his calf running all the way from first to home on a Francisco Alvarez double. He was clearly in pain rounding third, but he still slid in safely to score.
The impact was real after Lindor entered the 10-day IL due to calf strain. The Mets desperately miss his baserunning, his veteran leadership under pressure. And the slugger who batted .267 and hit 31 HRs last year would have been the best to manage the clutch moments. And for those who believed that Soto could fill Lindor’s absence, the game against the Nationals on Wednesday proved them wrong.
In a brutal 14-2 defeat, the Mets’ lineup looked lost. Even though Soto did his part and hit a solo homer and had three hits. Bo Bichette added another run. However, except for them, nobody stepped up. Ronny Mauricio, who replaced Lindor, could score nothing from his 4 at-bats.
So, when the entire lineup falters, Soto, despite hitting .327, can’t lift the team alone. A veteran like Lindor would have been required here. Soto knows and admits to it despite the rift rumors.
Juan Soto on how the Francisco Lindor injury impacts the Mets; “I think it’s really tough seeing a player like that, a true superstar like Francisco, who impacts the game both offensively and defensively. He’s exactly the kind of talent any team would love to have in their Show more
Last year, when Lindor was rumored to take over the Mets captaincy, Soto shared his own view.
“[Starling Marte is] literally the leader of this team, I feel like he’s actually the captain of this team.” It was viewed as a subtle dig at Lindor.
Although during the 2026 spring, Soto put all rumors to rest, saying, “I think it’s a great relationship. We talk all the time in the game and everything, and we help each other,” fans were not sure.
Now that Soto has come up and acknowledged how the Mets are missing Lindor, their rift rumors might take a backseat from here. However, the team’s struggle is showing no signs of improvement.
The Mets’ woes are taking a turn for the worse
Initially, it was thought that the Mets could perform better once Soto returned from his injury. He came back, but nothing improved. Rather, Soto is yet to take over his outfield duties. Reportedly, his forearm injury is yet to fully recover. As per MLB insider Jorge Castillo, there’s no timeline set for his return to the outfield.
So, Soto would continue to serve as DH for now. Still, Soto as DH couldn’t improve the Mets’ offensive numbers.
“Mets offensive ranks through 28 games: Runs: 30th, Runs/game: 30th, Home runs: 28th, AVG: 27th, OBP: 30th, SLG: 30th, wOBA: 30th, wRC+: 30th, OPS: 30th, OPS+: 30th,” MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo shared.
Their offensive struggle was evident on Wednesday when, other than Bichette and Soto, no one could score any runs despite the Nationals scoring 14. “We have to be better,” Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s been a long period of time where we’re not playing well; we have to fix it.”
Whether they can actually fix it is another story. Wednesday’s game didn’t just highlight a dead offense but also exposed a collapsing pitching staff. David Peterson started the game but could only survive 3.2 innings. He allowed seven runs, followed by Sean Manaea, who gave up six more.
So, while Soto admits Lindor’s absence is hurting the team, the problems lie deeper and might not get resolved even with Lindor’s presence.
