NY Mets injury scare to Juan Soto is an omen the team cannot ignore

He’ll be fine, everyone. Nothing to see here. The fireworks factory is not exploding. Juan Soto fouled a ball off his foot, felt numb after the game, and had New York Mets fans frantically envisioning a world without him in the lineup for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, all sounds good at the end of the quest. X-rays were negative. It's a bump in the road, not a full-blown sinkhole.

The doctor has prescribed Soto to rub some dirt on it.

Timing with injuries is everything. Past the trade deadline and you’re in big trouble. It sounds like Soto could miss a few days at most, possibly even escaping an IL stint. However it goes, let this be a signal to the front office that they could really use a bat like Brandon Lowe in the lineup.

Mets rumors of a Brandon Lowe pursuit feel more necessary today than even yesterday

There might not be a stranger yet better bat out there for the Mets to add. Lowe is signed for next season as well on an $11.5 million team option, making him just that much more costly to add. The Tampa Bay Rays are three games out of a Wild Card spot with only one team in front of them. At 54-54, there’s a bigger question as to whether the front office believes in them or if the better route is to reload for the future; something they love to do.

Upon first seeing those Lowe rumors, the question was about fit. The team has a DH spot pretty wide open with the absence of Jesse Winker to handle the left-handed hitting part of it. The Soto injury scare, while not preventable in this situation, should have the Mets wondering if maybe their star right fielder should spend a few more days as their star DH.

The Mets are 16th in runs scored this season with their most exhaustive issue being the lack of crossing the plate with runners in scoring position. Added firepower to the lineup isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity regardless of the other moves the team is planning to make. Starling Marte hitting well is a luxury. Clutch hits from Mark Vientos are fewer than they’ve needed.

It’s not Lowe or bust for the Mets. The much-discussed Mets trade rumors involving Luis Robert Jr. adds upside to the lineup’s weakest point.

A day game on Wednesday will have the Mets likely sitting Soto and getting a glimpse at the situation without him. Regardless of the results, it’s not going to feel quite the same.