Bo Bichette Expected to Return Soon After Ankle Contusion

Bo Bichette is not expected to miss significant time following a left ankle contusion sustained during the Mets' loss on Wednesday night. The team's starting third baseman was absent from the lineup for the series finale against the Brewers on Thursday but was available off the bench. Bichette suffered the injury after hitting a foul ball off his left ankle in the third inning of the previous game. Interim manager Andy Green commented, "Kind of the classic contusion from smoking a ball off your ankle," and added, "But I think he’s ultimately going to be OK." Brett Baty started in place of Bichette at third base. The game was another challenging outing for rookie center fielder A.J. Ewing, whose OPS has dropped to .667. In August, Ewing is batting .172 with 15 hits in 87 at-bats. Green noted that Ewing has been hitting the ball hard and is experiencing bad luck, stating, "He’s having better and better at bats that are more in line with who he’s always been. That’s really encouraging to see — it’s discouraging from a bottom-line perspective, not getting anything to show up in the box score or the game." Additionally, Juan Soto reported feeling good after taking live batting practice and running the bases on Wednesday. However, he did not participate in further on-field work on Thursday due to weather conditions. Soto has been sidelined since July 24 with a left calf strain.