PHILADELPHIA — Juan Soto’s left calf tightened up on him Thursday night, and for about 48 hours the Mets had to sit with the kind of feeling that ruins a general manager’s appetite. By Saturday, the outfielder was back — slotted in as the designated hitter for the Mets’ 3:05 p.m. matchup with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, the start time moved up an hour from its original 4:10 slot to outrun threatening thunderstorms.
Soto’s return wasn’t the only roster reinforcement. Marcus Semien, activated off the injured list Thursday after a hip flexor strain had shelved him since June 24, made his first start in nearly a month at second base. For a club that went 2-7 in series during a grim June, getting two bats back in the same afternoon is the closest thing to a meal you don’t have to cook yourself.
The Mets opened the second half with a 4-1 win Thursday, riding a pair of Francisco Alvarez home runs and 5⅔ scoreless innings from Christian Scott. That game was played under a haze of Canadian wildfire smoke that had drifted to the East Coast — conditions that, in a more sensible era, might have prompted someone to ask whether outfielders should be wearing respirators. Instead they played ball and the Mets took the series opener.
Saturday’s pitching matchup pits lefty against lefty. Sean Manaea (2-4, 4.56 ERA) makes his seventh start of the season for the Mets, coming off his best outing of the year — seven innings of two-earned-run ball against the Red Sox with six strikeouts, his longest start since 2024. The Phillies counter with All-Star Jesús Luzardo (8-4, 3.51 ERA), who struck out 11 over seven scoreless frames against the Reds in his final start before the break.
The Mets’ full lineup: Francisco Lindor (SS), Juan Soto (DH), Bo Bichette (3B), Francisco Alvarez (C), Carson Benge (RF), Marcus Semien (2B), Tyrone Taylor (LF), A.J. Ewing (CF), Eric Wagaman (1B).
Philadelphia counters with Trea Turner (SS), Kyle Schwarber (DH), Bryce Harper (1B), Alec Bohm (3B), Edmundo Sosa (LF), Brandon Marsh (RF), J.T. Realmuto (C), Derek Hill (CF), and Bryson Stott (2B).
The game airs on SNY, with radio coverage on Audacy Mets Radio (WHSQ 880 AM) and the Audacy app.
There’s a subplot simmering beneath this series that neither dugout will want to talk about. With the August 3 trade deadline approaching, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb identified two Mets left-handed relievers — Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter — as realistic targets for the Phillies, who are shopping for bullpen help after a remarkable climb from a 9-19 start. Both relievers are free agents after 2026, meaning neither would cost a prospect haul. Minter has a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings; the 38-year-old Raley owns a 2.02 mark across 40 appearances. The idea of the Phillies acquiring arms from the team they’re currently playing — a division rival — is the kind of thing that makes a rivalry taste even better in August.
The Mets entered Saturday with a chance to secure their second series victory in their last three. After the June they had, that qualifies as progress.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports / NorthJersey.com — NY Mets announce lineup vs Phillies for Saturday’s game
- Yahoo Sports — Mets vs Phillies: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 7/18/26
- Yahoo Sports / NorthJersey.com — NY Mets vs Phillies live updates, score and analysis of Saturday game
- Yahoo Sports / The Sporting News — Phillies linked to pair of Mets relievers as trade deadline targets