The Washington Nationals placed Juan Soto on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. Soto was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals. The move was a surprised as there were no glaring moment to hint to the ailment for the 22-year old.
Following a 3-2 win, Nationals manager Davey Martinez explained, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, he learned Soto wouldn’t be available to play about 45 minutes before the game. Soto underwent an MRI after complaining of triceps pain, which showed the shoulder strain.
Now, Soto will get the opportunity to rest his shoulder. He will be eligible to be re-activated off the IL on Apr. 30. The Nationals will take advantage of having three off days during that stretch to minimize the games Soto will miss.
Through 14 games, Soto is hitting .300/.410/.460 with two home runs and eight RBIs. He coming off a NL batting title in 2020 with expectations of hovering in the MVP consideration. Resting his shoulder early in the season to prevent the issue from lingering is best.
The Nationals are 6-9 and currently in last place in the NL East. However, they’re just 2.5 games out of first place.
