The last time Juan Soto was in front of fans at Yankee Stadium, he was one of theirs. Now, he returns with the Mets. A star player in his prime leaving the Yankees for the Mets is something that was once improbable in the city, but between Soto’s return to the Bronx and the two teams both leading their respective divisions, it’s a whole new ballgame.
Rivalries are often more for the fans than for the players on the field themselves, and the Subway Series hasn’t always lived up to the hype. Yankees fans have been waiting more than six months to tell Soto how they feel about his departure, but their vitriol may be to their detriment. Soto tends to rise to the occasion when the heat on him burns the hottest.
“I hope it’s loud because I’ve been in the other dugout too,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday at Yankee Stadium. “I’ve seen it.”
A former Yankees bench coach, Mendoza recalled the first time the Houston Astros came to New York after the sign-stealing scandal. The fans booed, they yelled “cheaters” and they attempted to bang their own trash cans but stadium security confiscated those. The Yankees walked off in the first game, using the fuel from their fans.
Soto uses the boos as fuel.
“I feel like with Juan, not that he needs it, but watching him last year and what he did with them, and being around him for two and a half months now, he’s somebody who is able to handle it,” Mendoza said. “I talked to him a couple of days ago. He’s ready, he knows when it’s coming. He is just going to enjoy it, embrace it and be himself.”
If anyone is made for this moment, it’s Soto.
Last year, the Mets swept the four-game home-and-home series for only the second time in club history and the first time since 2013. The Amazin’s are 66-80 all-time against the Yankees in the regular season. This year, the series has been expanded to six games, three at Yankee Stadium through this weekend and three at Citi Field in July.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Right-hander Frankie Montas has moved to the next phase of his rehab from a spring training lat strain by facing hitters. Montas was scheduled to throw a live bullpen Friday, and will throw another Tuesday. Mendoza said he will throw “a couple more” before the club can send him on a rehab assignment.
Left-hander Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) threw a bullpen Thursday and will throw another Tuesday. It’s unclear how many bullpens he’ll throw before moving on to face live hitters, but he’ll have to throw one where he gets up and down to mimic sitting for an inning or two. Then, he can progress to facing hitters.
Right-hander Paul Blackburn made his final rehab start Friday with Double-A Binghamton. The clock is about to run out on his rehab assignment, so the Mets will have to find room for him on the roster next week. Dedniel Nuñez seems like the likely candidate to bump since he has minor league options and has struggled since returning to the big leagues. Max Kranick and Huascar Brazobán have been invaluable to the bullpen as long relievers who can pitch multiple innings in high-leverage or medium-leverage situations.
ROSTER MOVE
Lacking lefties in the bullpen after season-ending surgeries to A.J. Minter and Danny Young, the Mets made a deal to acquire Jose Castillo from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mets sent cash considerations to Arizona for the 29-year-old who posted a 1.69 ERA over 5 1/3 innings in Triple-A, and an 11.37 ERA in 6 1/3 in the Major Leagues.
Right-hander Kevin Herget was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Castillo is out of minor league options.
