Bronx baseball is back, and the New York Yankees are on a roll with a 45-19 record, leading all of MLB. However, their eight-game winning streak is at risk after Juan Soto left the field with an injury.
During a rain delay against the Minnesota Twins on June 6, Soto exited and did not return. The Yankees later identified his injury as “left forearm discomfort.”
After an 8-5 win over the Twins, manager Aaron Boone addressed the injury and the team’s next steps. Boone explained that the rain delay influenced the decision to pull Soto from the game, mentioning that Soto had been experiencing forearm soreness for about a week.
Despite the injury, Boone downplayed concerns about a potential stint on the Injured List. Any absence for Soto would be significant, as he is slashing .319/.422/.605 with a 1.027 OPS, 17 home runs, and 53 RBIs this season.
Soto met with reporters after the game and discussed his forearm soreness, noting that it hasn’t affected his baseball activities like throwing or hitting.
When asked about the injury’s origin, he didn’t have an specific answer.
“I don’t have the specific date,” Soto said postgame. “But it’s been like a week and a half or two. I’ve just been grinding through it.”
Regarding when it causes discomfort, Soto clarified that it doesn’t bother him while playing on the baseball field.
“It’s not any specific activity,” Soto continued. “It’s kind of funny, it doesn’t hurt when I throw or I’m hitting. It’s just soreness I feel with any kind of move I make with my arm. But definitely, it doesn’t stop me from anything baseball wise on the field.”
He said the decision to end his night early was made collaboratively with Boone and the team’s medical staff to avoid further risk after the rain delay.
The Yankees overcame both Soto’s departure and five runs allowed to beat the Twins. Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman gave up five runs in 4.2 innings, resulting in a 3.16 ERA.
Despite struggling with his grip and execution, Stroman managed to keep the game in check, and the Yankees secured the series sweep.
Stroman’s 4.2 innings pitched marked his second-shortest outing of the season, with a season-high of five errors.
With a series against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers up next, the Yankees will need all hands on deck, regardless of Soto’s availability.
