New York Yankees star Juan Soto endured an injury scare on Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins. New York ultimately earned an 8-5 win, but that was the last thing on Yankees fans' minds after the game.
Soto exited with forearm discomfort. He will undergo further evaluation on Friday. Soto provided an update after the game, via ESPN and The Associated Press.
“I don't know what it's going to show,” Soto said. “Just woke up one day, felt the tightness and discomfort in my forearm, and we've been working on it, and we've been trying to get away with it, and it hasn't [gone away]… Kind of just been grinding through it.
“It's kind of funny. It doesn't hurt when I throw, or hitting; it's more like soreness that I feel any kind of move that I make with my arm. But it definitely doesn't stop me from anything baseball-wise.”
Soto's comments make it seem like the injury may not be a huge issue. Saying it “doesn't stop me from anything baseball-wise” will catch the team's attention.
However, the fact of the matter is that there clearly is some sort of injury concern here. The Yankees want to make sure that Juan Soto is all right. They will make a potential injured list decision following the results of the aforementioned evaluation.
Juan Soto's impressive beginning to Yankees career
The hope, of course, is that Soto will either avoid an IL trip altogether or spend the minimal amount of time on the IL.
Some people around the MLB world were not sure how Soto would play in New York. After all, he had only played in smaller markets such as Washington and San Diego. The 25-year-old has silenced any doubters, however.
Soto is slashing .318/.424/.603 across 64 games played in 2024. His .318 batting average and .424 OBP both lead the league.
Soto has also crushed 17 home runs and 11 doubles to go along with 53 RBIs and 46 walks. He's known for having an elite eye at the plate and consistently getting on base, something that has held true with the Yankees.
Juan Soto is doing exactly what he needs to do in a contract year. He is setting himself up for a massive payday. Of course, avoiding a lengthy IL stint would help matters in that regard, which is another element of this injury concern.
In the end, Soto is already on track to earn a big contract in MLB free agency. Whether he re-signs with the Yankees or joins another ballclub, he may end up landing a historic deal.
When will Yankees provide further injury update?
The team is waiting for results at the moment. They will not be able to make any final IL decisions before knowing the full severity of Soto's injury.
An update may emerge as soon as today. The Yankees will provide updates as they are made available.
Losing Soto for an extended period of time would obviously be a major blow. Again, the hope is that Juan Soto avoided a serious injury and will be able to return soon.
