Juan Soto has more or less completed the New York Yankees roster this season. He is the spark the offense needed to bounce back from an abysmal 82-80 season. Soto is hitting .318 with 17 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 1.027 OPS entering Friday.
However, Juan Soto was scratched off the lineup against LA Dodgers on Friday. It was the first time this year that Soto missed a game. And it surely left fans concerned as Soto’s absence was injury related. Let’s decode as to why the generational star didn’t even come in as a pinch hitter against the Dodgers?
Juan Soto Rested From Dodgers Game As Precaution
The New York Yankees removed Juan Soto from the Thursday night game against the Twins after the rain delay in what turned out to be a massive injury scare. Soto reported forearm discomfort, which was checked out by a local doctor, who advised the slugger not to push it and to skip the remainder of the series finale. Subsequently, the generational star went through imaging and MRI scans on Friday. As per the early prognosis, Soto should be fine and likely not headed for IL. The discomfort in the elbow and forearm is just inflammation and not ligament damage. However, Soto still wasn’t available for Friday’s series opener against LA Dodgers as the team is treating him day-to-day. Meanwhile, at a certain point in the game, Soto suggested that he could come in as a pinch hitter.
Juan Soto was all decked up in pinstripes back in the dugout and was fiddling with his bat, which led fans to believe that he could come up as a pinch hitter, especially when the Yankees were struggling to get some runs on board. However, it turned out to be a decoy as manager Aaron Boone confirmed playing Soto against the Dodgers on Friday was not on the cards. Meanwhile, Soto said he hated to watch the game on the bench. Yet, he tried to be there for his teammates to the best of his capacity. “I want to be out there trying to win a game with my teammates,” Soto said after the 2-1 loss. Now, as far as the slugger’s availability for the rest of the series is concerned, Juan Soto said it depends on how he feels day by day.
Soto To Rely On Meds For Now, No Surgical Treatment Required
Juan Soto’s initial MRI scans are good news as he dodged the worst case scenario. All the ligaments of his elbow and forearm are fine. It’s just some degree of inflammation bothering the generational talent at the moment which essentially could be treated with meds alone.
Juan Soto revealed that he would not need any surgical treatments or injections, for that matter. His availability for the next week is still uncertain as he is being treated day to day. It all depends on how quickly Soto’s body responds to the medications. But momentarily, Soto will avoid an IL stint, which is a massive boost for the Yankees.
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