Juan Soto working way back to Mets after latest calf injury

Juan Soto is making progress in a potential return this season from his second instance of a strained calf.Soto took live batting practice Wednesday, played catch and ran the bases ahead of the Mets-Brewers game at Citi Field.Soto last appeared in a game July 24, when he suffered a left calf strain.

The superstar slugger has said he wanted to return this year, even though the Mets are well out of a playoff spot.Interim manager Andy Green was uncertain how close Soto is to a minor league rehabilitation assignment.They want to see how the calf feels Thursday before announcing the next step.“I put in the work.

I feel I’m in a good spot,” Soto told MLB.com.“We are trying to test [the calf] and see how it feels.

Definitely, we are at the point we have to see how it reacts the next day.But I feel good.“I’ll try to be back as soon as possible and try to keep the good momentum the team is having right now.

I’m trying to join that [winning atmosphere].I would like to help in the same way.”Green is unsure what Mark Vientos’ role will be with the Mets when he returns.

Vientos is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse.“I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs,” Green said.“I still think there’s a very bright future out there for him, if he wants to go grab a hold of it.

That’s on him.“When he gets back in the box, take advantage of the at-bats you do get and prove you deserve more at-bats.… It’s not going to be a perfectly laid path for him, though, when he does come back.”Vientos has been out since July 9 due to a fractured right hand.

So far in this rehab stint, Vientos is 0-for-8 with a walk and five strikeouts....