Juan Soto showed a concerning sign during his New York Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Thursday.
Soto had a strong game and went 2-for-3 with two walks and a home run. But he also struck out in the 7th and appeared to be in pain after swinging at a pitch and missing.
Take a look at Soto’s reaction to swinging at a 1-1 changeup and missing the pitch:
Soto was dealing with some pain in his right hand after this swing, which Boone says has been a pain tolerance issue
He stayed in the game and struck out pic.twitter.com/Fha7zd1Wya
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 12, 2024
Soto was clearly grimacing in pain.
Soto has dealt with hand pain for nearly two weeks after hurting his hand on a slide into home plate. He has mostly played through the issue, which Yankees manager Aaron Boone has decribed as a pain tolerance matter.
Juan Soto's right hand is in pain again after that strikeout. He has been playing through an injury since the Toronto series. Aaron Boone said it is a pain tolerance issue and he is receiving treatment between games.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 12, 2024
Soto being at less than full strength has led many Yankees fans to plead for the outfielder to take time off to rest during the All-Star break. We shall see whether he does that.
Soto is batting .297 with a .992 OPS this season — his first with the Yankees.
