Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez is giving Juan Soto a couple of days off, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com (via Twitter). Soto has been experiencing some elbow soreness. The Nationals’ young superstar underwent and MRI, but the results were good, so Martinez is just giving Soto a couple of days to rest and recover.
Though the Nationals have face-planted in their title defense season, there’s been no such hangover for the 21-year-old Soto. Soto is currently the major-league leader in slugging (.758) and OPS (1.211). He’s slashing .354/.453/.758 with 11 long balls in 117 plate appearances. Soto has more walks (17) than strikeouts (16) while registering in the top 1% for exit velocity (94.2 mph) and top 2 percent for hard hit percentage (55.4%).
Soto rested for both games of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Braves, and he figures to get another day or two to rest his elbow. Especially since the Nats are just one game ahead of the Pirates for the worst record in the National League, they are likely to value Soto’s long-term health over any benefit they’ll get from rushing him into action over the final few weeks of what’s bound to be a lost season. Washington sits 5 games out of a wild card spot, and while that deficit isn’t impossible to overcome, they would need to turn around their play drastically enough to leapfrog five other teams in the NL.
Soto missed the first couple of days of the season after testing positive for COVID-19, though he was asymptomatic.
Nats season over anyway. No need to push him at all.
You’re likely right but that is what they said last year.
Old age acting up
Caused by too much bat speed maybe, like when hitting 466 foot home runs down the right field line.
Even as a Mets fan I hope he doesn’t end up needing TJ surgery
“The Nationals’ young superstar underwent and MRI, but the results were good, so…”
Code for #covid19
Lose lose lose. Get that draft position. Some decisions being made (ex. Brock Holt playing, Voth keeps starting) actually make me think the Nats are trying to
I know they were struck with the injury bug, but did anyone expect the Nats to be this awful?
Rendon leaving, stras being hurt, sherzer being average. Yes.
That’s certainly fair. And there’s an element of them just being hot last year. But they look like they’re going to struggle for quite some time.
They were awful the first part of last season when they were hit with injuries and started 19-31. At 26-34 through 60, they would have fallen short of the playoffs in 2020. Instead, they went 74-38 over their final 112 and…you know the rest.
Rendon wasn’t a big miss. He’s not going to produce at the same rate in his later years.
Must be from all those Samurai check swings.
Writer takes Soto news opportunity to jab at champs in undignified way. While might not be a great shortened season start writers like this will never learn if last years turn around by nats didn’t inspire some hubris tone down…what happens when you wrote and don’t ever do and actually battle…glad he isn’t actually on the field or a manger