India, July 28 -- Despite suffering a Grade 2 left calf strain, Juan Soto remains optimistic that he will return before the end of the 2026 MLB season.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the New York Mets star made it clear he does not believe the injury will cut his campaign short.

The Mets, however, are taking a more cautious approach. The club is still consulting additional medical experts and has yet to establish a timeline for Soto's return, with the possibility that he could remain sidelined into September.

"We're just taking it week by week, day by day," Soto said before Monday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves. "We're trying to see how I feel. Definitely, I'm young enough to recover quick, so we don't know how I'm gonna ...