The Nationals have placed star slugger Juan Soto on the 10-day injured list with a strained left shoulder, the team announced. They recalled outfielder Yadiel Hernandez to take Soto’s place on the roster.
The loss of Soto is yet another early season blow for the Nationals, who own a 5-9 record and the majors’ third-worst run differential (minus-22). Of course, their struggles haven’t been Soto’s fault. While the 22-year-old phenom’s .300/.410/.460 line across 61 plate appearances pales in comparison to his 2018-20 production, that only goes to show how great he has been since breaking into the majors. After all, Soto has still been 31 percent better than the league-average hitter this year, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.
Tuesday’s game against St. Louis will be the first time this season that the Nationals will start someone other than Soto in right field. The role will go to Andrew Stevenson, who has hit .263/.341/.390 in 264 major league PA since he debuted in 2017. The addition of Hernandez gives the Nats another corner outfield option, though the 33-year-old is a completely unproven commodity in the majors.
When it rains it pours…
So, by the end of the year every MLB player will have been on the IL?
Maybe by the end of the week at this rate.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Well that sucks:
Injuries this year are brutal, such a disappoint to so many fans not to see their teams playing to their full potential only two weeks into the season.
One blow after another since the WS.
Team will need a retool come Summer..
Hopefully there are some Leiters and Rockers available at the top of the draft in 2022!
They should have retooled last summer. Lots of big names available they never moved on nor were linked too. Keiboom would have been a better return than what Denver got for arenado
They should have retooled last summer with “lots of big names”. Right. Before last night their starting pitchers’ ERA was ranked at the bottom of MLB. What, you think Realmuto can pitch too ?
We’re approaching a point with some teams where the shorter, quicker article will be “here’s who is healthy today…”
Pain.
Agony.
Distress.
Anytime The Great Young Juan Soto starts a season batting under .300 its a safe bet he isn’t at 100% health, even not at 100% he’s hitting rockets off the wall in the Nationals Cardinals game. If he was healthy he hit 2 homeruns that game.
Maybe I’m wrong but I did not notice any B games during Spring training. It’s possible that some of the numerous early injuries could be due to players not being in as good shape as in pre-Covid seasons.
Good point but I think they had enough off days to allow for that. In spring training they were in a pod with 4 other teams (Marlins, Cardinals, Astros and Mets). With an odd number of teams they had an off day every 3rd day and no days with split squads (two games)..
They messed everything up for the Mets so I don’t care.
lol okay bud
Mets are 7-5. I think we will be okay. Blaming the Nata for getting COVID is absurd.
Amazing the amount of injuries we’ve had in baseball so far. The season is barely three weeks old.
My guess is a labrum tear based upon it being his throwing shoulder and RF being a power throwing position.