Juan Soto played at least 150 games in every full major league season he had appeared in before this season. 

Now deep into his second IL stint because of a calf strain this season — this one to his left calf — Soto said again Friday he expects to be back this year. 

He added that dealing with these calf issues actually will pay dividends down the road. 

“It sucks,’’ Soto said before the Mets’ Friday’s series opener against the Nationals at Citi Field. “It’s tough for me, tough to lose so many games [to injury]. I’ve never been on this side of it.” 

But he noted the potential silver lining: “It’s good for me, for my career, for the long [term]. It will teach me a lot of things to adjust in training [and] conditioning, to keep moving forward in a positive way.’’ 

Still just 27, Soto was productive while healthy with the Mets this season, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in contention. 

Soto did some pregame agility work at Citi Field and said that as he gets older, he will have to treat his body differently. 

And even with the Mets opening Friday 11 ½ games back of the final NL wild-card spot and with the third-worst record in the National League, Soto and another veteran on the IL, Devin Williams, expressed a strong desire to get back on the field before the end of the season. 

“We’re playing really good baseball right now,” Soto said of a Mets team that won six of seven after the trade deadline before dropping their last two in Atlanta. “Why not join this team? I think it’s going to be really fun. It’s going to be really great for me and the team.” 

A playoff run is out of the question, but Soto said the goal is to “finish strong and keep the momentum for next year.” 

It remains to be seen what kind of momentum the Mets are able to maintain over the final month-plus of the regular season, especially without Soto and a bullpen that was decimated at the deadline and then lost Williams. 

Williams said his shoulder strain was “something that had been nagging [and] needed to be addressed.” 

Still, the closer also said he intended to return in 2026, though he has yet to begin throwing. 

“It would be nice to come back and go into the offseason with some positivity,’’ Williams said. “And have some good outings before the inevitable.” 

The right-hander’s first season in Queens has looked more like his lone season with the Yankees, which was marred by inconsistency, than his dominance in Milwaukee. 

Williams would like to close the first season of a three-year, $51 million deal on a high note. 

“I just want to get back and contribute a little bit, at least, and have a better taste in my mouth going into next year,’’ Williams said. 

And Williams continues to lament how poorly this season has gone for a team that entered with high expectations. 

“We’ve had the pieces to be a really good team,” Williams said. “We just haven’t put it all together.” 

As for the future, Williams says there’s cause for optimism. 

“Obviously, there’s going to be some moves made this offseason,” Williams said. “I think we go into next year with the same goal: to be competing to win the division, hopefully make the playoffs and have a chance to win the World Series.”