NEW YORK (AP) — Mets slugger Juan Soto was removed from Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs because of back tightness.
Soto appeared to grimace when he flied out in the first inning. He flied out again in the third and was replaced in left field in the top of the fifth with New York trailing 7-2. Jared Young moved from first base to left field, and Mark Vientos entered at first in Soto’s third spot in the batting order.
In the bottom of the sixth, the last-place Mets announced Soto left with tightness on the left side of his back.
Soto, a four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger award winner, began the night batting .301 with 17 homers, 38 RBIs and a .974 OPS. He spent time on the injured list in April with a calf strain.
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