Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Juan Soto experienced forearm tightness after throwing on Friday, and the team is hoping he can get back to playing the field in the next few days. For now, Soto is in the Mets’ lineup as the team’s designated hitter for their series opener against the Nationals tonight at Citi Field.

Having moved from right field to left field ahead of the 2026 season—following a rather disastrous defensive showing in right in his first season with the Mets last year—the typically-durable Soto already spent some time on the injured list with calf tightness this month.

He returned from that injury on April 22, and in the Mets’ five games since then, he’s hit .200/.429/.200 in 21 plate appearances. On the season, Soto is hitting .301/.418/.413 with one home run and a 141 wRC+ in 55 plate appearances.

While forearm tightness isn’t quite as dreaded a term for a position player as it is for a pitcher, outfielders do occasionally end up needing Tommy John surgery for injuries that arise in the forearm. Bryce Harper is the most notable of those players, but aside from the time he needed on the injury list to recover, he’s been a very good hitter after having the surgery.

For now, the Mets say that Soto is not experiencing any discomfort when swinging the bat, and the last thing they can afford in a season that’s off to a terrible start is significant time without Soto in the lineup. Keeping him at DH for the time being seems like a wise move, even if the Mets’ outfield options aren’t super appealing at the moment.