Juan Soto Injury Update: 3x All-Star noticeably better now and will 'probably' hit tomorrow vs. Dodgers, per manager Aaron Boone
The New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto has been out of the team’s lineup, missing two games with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With their most recent 11-3 loss, the Bronx Bombers have lost the second game of their three-game series.
Soto, who left Thursday’s game due to forearm discomfort, underwent an MRI on Friday that showed his left forearm is inflamed. The three-time All-Star is expected to be sidelined for a few more days.
However, in a recent interview, Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave some insights on Soto and his probable quick return on the field. When Boone was asked about Soto’s return to the lineup in tomorrow’s game, he said:
“Probably yeah, I mean we’ll see. I know today, he felt really good. You know, noticeably better in his eye, but it was also important. I think that yesterday he not do much of anything baseball to try and get this to calm it down sounded like he felt a lot better today. Went through kind of normal prep stuff that went pretty well. So well, we’ll see what we have tomorrow.”
Referring to Juan Soto's recovery, Boone suggests that while putting him on the injured list is an option, he doesn't think it will be necessary.
To fill the void left by Soto’s absence, the New York Yankees placed Trent Grisham in center field, moved Aaron Judge to right field, and had Alex Verdugo play left field.
Juan Soto was traded to the Bronx Bombers by the San Diego Padres in December 2023 and inked a one-year, $31 million contract with the team before the 2024 season started.
So far in the 2024 season, he has been hitting .318 with 53 RBIs and 17 home runs in 64 games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone senses Juan Soto's frustration for not playing but prioritizing his long-term health
The last time Juan Soto missed back-to-back games was in August 2022, when he couldn’t play three straight games due to back tightness. Regarding his recent absence from games, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said (via MLB.com):
“I think he sees the big picture in all this, too. And as much as this environment, this series, I mean, I’m sure there’s part of it that’s killing him, not being in, but I think he’s also like, I also know I want to get this inflammation out of there and we can roll.”
The New York Yankees are leading the AL East with 45 wins and 21 losses. They will face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday in the last game of their three-game series.