"Best Juan Soto brings out the best Aaron Judge" - MLB analyst highlights otherwordly production of top New York Yankees tandem
Last Friday, Juan Soto underwent MRI tests after exiting the previous game with forearm tightness. While the 25-year-old looks like he'll be able to dodge the injured list, every day that goes by, the Yankees miss Soto's presence ever-more.
The Yankees' weekend series against the Dodgers was their first without Soto this season, and represented their first series loss since the very beginning of May. In Soto's absence, Aaron Judge went 7-11 in the series with three home runs and five RBIs. However, as an MLB analyst noted, both Judge and Soto feed off of each other in the lineup.
"Aaron Boone hopes to have Juan Soto back in the lineup tonight and Gerrit Cole is nearing a return to the @Yankees rotation. @jonmorosi #MLBCentral #RepBX"
In a recent appearance on MLB Network, analyst Jon Morosi highlighted the importance of having Judge and Soto in the lineup. Referencing the pair's incredible figures together this season, Morosi claimed "Best [Juan] Soto brings out the best [Aaron] Judge."
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are now hitting .305 and .318, respectively, and also rank first and second in OPS. Moreover, now with a combined 41 home runs, it is looking more and more likely that the pair will become the first New York Yankees to hit 40 home runs each since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in the 1960s, if Soto can stay healthy.
"Imagine not having Juan Soto & Aaron Judge on your team" - Jacob
Despite the fact that Juan Soto is making the trip with the team to play the Kansas City Royals, fans may have to wait a little longer for their next glimpse. In light of his forearm injury, Yankees manager Aaron Boone claimed that the return is "probably going to be at least a couple days."
Juan Soto cheers on his replacement from the sidelines
Filling in for Soto on Sunday was Trent Grisham, who arrived with the three-time NL walks leader in the December trade between the Yankees and San Diego Padres. Despite entering the game with a .082 average, Grisham's three-run homer played a key role in salvaging the Yankees from a series sweep. After the game, Soto told ESPN:
“I’m happy for Grish. We need everybody in this clubhouse. I’m glad he did that.”
As Juan Soto likely cannot wait to get back into action, at least Yankees fans can take solace in the fact that offense appears to be coming from up and down the lineup this year.