Juan Soto had a real heart-stopping moment during Monday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
The San Diego Padres slugger Soto was in the on-deck circle as teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. batted in the first inning. Tatis checked his swing on a 1-2 slider and made contact. The ensuing foul ball then made a beeline for Soto, who was struck in the arm by it.
Take a look.
Juan Soto was okay after getting hit by this foul ball off the bat of Fernando Tatis Jr 😱
📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/gEIRpz9WeZ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 26, 2023
Soto winced in pain immediately after being hit but was ultimately OK. He remained in the lineup for the entire game (though ended up going just 1-for-4 on the evening as the Padres lost 2-1 to essentially eliminate them from playoff contention).
It probably helps that Soto bats and throws lefty (whereas the foul ball hit him in the right arm). Still, the three-time All-Star Soto is lucky that Tatis did not make stronger contact than that, resulting in only a slightly brisk ricochet. Some other MLB players have been far less fortunate with foul balls this season.
