Juan Soto homered in his return to the lineup Thursday, helping the New York Mets complete a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 9-4 victory at Citi Field. Soto exited Wednesday's game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball off his right foot, but X-rays came back negative. He batted third as the designated hitter in the matinee.

The Mets also received encouraging news on Francisco Lindor, whose MRI showed "signs of healing" from the strained left calf he suffered April 22. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the All-Star shortstop has been cleared for weight room work before beginning a running program, though there's no timetable for him to resume baseball activities. Lindor has already missed 18 games — four more than he missed the previous four seasons combined.

Francisco Alvarez underwent surgery Thursday morning for a torn meniscus suffered Tuesday, and the Mets expect him to miss up to eight weeks. Alvarez is the 12th player currently on the injured list, joining a group that includes right-handers Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Dedniel Nunez, along with outfielder Luis Robert Jr. The injury-riddled Mets have managed to stay afloat despite the significant absences.