Juan Soto hits 250th career home run

Juan Soto reached another career milestone on Friday night, hitting his 250th home run during the New York Mets’ 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees at Citi Field. The homer came in the seventh inning off Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, giving the Mets their first run in the Subway Series opener. (mlb.com) The result was overshadowed by the Mets’ defeat and by an injury to starting pitcher Clay Holmes, but Soto’s home run added a notable benchmark to his ninth major league season. The 27-year-old outfielder said after the game that he has been dealing with multiple physical issues this season, including trouble with his hand, calf and elbow. (mlb.com) MLB.com reported Soto had also been managing right wrist discomfort, which he said had bothered him for at least the previous week and a half. ### How did Soto get to No. 250? Cam Schlittler gave up Soto’s milestone homer in the seventh inning, when Soto drove the ball over the left-center-field fence at Citi Field. MLB.com said the blast was the Mets’ lone bright spot in a game they otherwise trailed throughout. (mlb.com) Friday’s game was Soto’s latest step back after an injury-interrupted start to the season. MLB.com reported he strained his right calf on April 3 in San Francisco, missed about 2 1/2 weeks and had more recently fouled a ball off his right ankle before Friday’s game against the Yankees. (mlb.com) ### Why did this home run draw extra attention? Sarah Langs, cited by MLB.com and Sporting News, said Soto became one of only seven major leaguers to record at least 250 home runs and 95 stolen bases before turning 28. The other six named in that group were Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout, Frank Robinson and Andruw Jones. (mlb.com) Sporting News reported Soto entered the game with 250 home runs and 96 stolen bases in his career, and noted that he does not turn 28 until October 25. That left him time to add to those totals before aging out of the comparison set. (mlb.com) ### What did Soto say about the milestone? “It means a lot,” Soto said after the game, according to MLB.com. He added that the number reflected “a lot of hard work” he had put in each year while trying to help his team. (mlb.com) Soto also said he was still able to play through the discomfort. “We’re still going,” he said, according to MLB.com, while describing a season in which he has dealt with several injuries. ### Did the milestone come with any concern? Carlos Mendoza, the Mets’ manager, said Soto’s wrist tends to bother him mostly when he swings and misses, according to MLB.com. (sportingnews.com) The same report said Soto grimaced earlier in Friday’s game after missing at a Schlittler cutter, three innings before the home run. (mlb.com) Clay Holmes’ injury also changed the tone of the night for New York. MLB.com reported the Mets lost Holmes to a broken bone in his leg in the same 5-2 defeat, pushing Soto’s milestone into the background after the game. (mlb.com) ### What comes next in the Subway Series? Saturday, May 16, brings the second game of the series back to Citi Field. MLB.com’s probable pitchers page listed Carlos Rodón as the Yankees’ scheduled starter against Mets right-hander Huascar Brazobán, with first pitch set for 7:15 p.m. EDT. (mlb.com) Sunday’s finale is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. EDT at Citi Field, according to the same Mets schedule page. The Mets then open a road series against the Washington Nationals on Monday, May 18. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2)