Soto (oblique) will take some dry swings Friday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
It's a big step as Soto tries to ramp things back up in time for Opening Day. The star outfielder suffered a minor left oblique strain in a minor-league game this past weekend. At this point, Soto is expected to be ready to roll for the start of the regular season, but he's working with a tight window.
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Padres' Juan Soto: MRI reveals minimal strain
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Padres manager Bob Melvin announced that Tuesday's MRI on Soto's oblique strain did not reveal anything significant, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Melvin called the strain "minimal" and mentioned that the team is hopeful that Soto will be able to resume swinging in the next couple of days, and that he's optimistic that the outfielder will get more at-bats in the Cactus League before its conclusion. It's great news for all involved after Soto was removed from Sunday's game with the strained oblique. He should be considered day-to-day, and at this point it seems likely that Soto will be ready to play for the Padres on Opening Day.
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Padres' Juan Soto: To have MRI on oblique
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Soto will get an MRI on his strained left oblique, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto suffered the injury while playing in a minor-league game Sunday in Padres camp. Melvin reiterated to reporters Tuesday afternoon that the belief is it's "fairly mild" and added that the 24-year-old outfielder remains a possibility for Opening Day. Soto also dealt with a calf issue earlier this spring, though that proved to be a minor blip. Even if he doesn't appear in an exhibition game the rest of the way, the hope is that he could still suit up for the Padres on March 30 against the Rockies.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Day-to-day with oblique issue
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Soto was removed from a minor-league spring game as a precautionary measure due to a mild oblique strain Sunday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto's oblique issue is considered mild, and he's being labeled as day-to-day following his departure. Although the Padres are downplaying the severity of his injury, it's somewhat concerning to see the 24-year-old develop an oblique injury with a week and a half remaining until Opening Day. Soto will presumably be monitored further in the coming days, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Padres monitor his workload over the final few Cactus League games, especially since he also dealt with a left calf issue in late February and early March.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Cleared to play consecutive games
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Soto (calf) will be allowed to play consecutive games in the World Baseball Classic moving forward, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
At the start of the tournament, the Padres had asked Team Dominican Republic to limit Soto's workload after he battled a bit of left calf tightness between late February and early March. But there are no more lingering concerns about that injury, and there will be no more WBC limitations on the 24-year-old superstar. He's gone 4-for-9 with a home run and two doubles through two games played for the Dominican side.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Won't play back-to-back WBC games
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Soto (calf) will not be allowed to play consecutive games in the World Baseball Classic, he told Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes on Monday.
Soto homered and reached base three times Monday for Team Dominican Republic against Nicaragua and says his left calf -- which has limited him some in Padres camp -- has "felt excellent." However, the Padres are not allowing the outfielder to play back-to-back games as a precaution, so he'll sit out Tuesday's contest versus Israel. It's an understandable stance by the team, even as Soto has tried to talk the Padres out of it. The good news here is that Soto's calf injury seems like a non-issue.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Headed to Miami to join Team D.R.
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Soto (calf) left for Miami late Thursday to join Team Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto has dealt with some calf tightness this spring, but the assumption has been that it wouldn't keep him from playing for his native Dominican Republic in the WBC. Team D.R. opens its schedule Saturday against Venezuela, and Soto should be in the lineup.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Steals base in back-field game
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Soto (calf) drew two walks and stole second base in a back-field game Thursday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto also scored from third base on a groundout after swiping second, and it all serves as a positive indication that his tight left calf was never really a significant issue. He will soon join up with Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and looks poised for a monstrous first full season with the Padres.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Playing in 'B' game Thursday
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Padres manager Bob Melvin said Soto (calf) is slated to play in a "B" game Thursday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Soto has been dealing with some tightness in his left calf since last week but said Tuesday that he's feeling 100 percent. Assuming he comes out of Thursday's game with no issues, Soto is expected to join the Dominican Republic team this weekend for World Baseball Classic play.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Says he feels 100 percent
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Soto (calf) ran in Padres camp Tuesday and said he feels 100 percent healthy, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto has been bothered by a bit of left calf tightness over the last week or so, but it doesn't seem to be a significant concern. He is planning to join Team Dominican Republic on Friday in Florida ahead of their World Baseball Classic opener Saturday versus Team Venezuela.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Expected to be fine for WBC
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Soto (calf) will join Team Dominican Republic on Friday and is expected to be fine to participate in the World Baseball Classic, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.
Rojas was relaying a message from Nelson Cruz, who not only is Soto's teammate with the Padres but also serves as the general manager for Team Dominican Republic. Soto has been dealing with some nagging tightness in his left calf for the last week, but the level of concern for the injury at this point remains low. While he's been limited to just four Cactus League games so far this spring, Soto has gone 8-for-11 with one homer and seven RBI in those contests.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Calf still issue
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Soto is being held out of Friday's lineup against the Cubs due to continued issues with his left calf, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Soto missed a brief stretch earlier in the week with calf tightness, and after returning to the Padres lineup Wednesday, it now seems that he is not quite 100 percent healthy yet. That being said, the 24-year-old superstar still went 2-for-3 in each of San Diego's last two games, so it doesn't seem like his injury is a significant concern.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Rejoins Cactus League lineup
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Soto (calf) will start in left field and bat second in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.
After being scratched from the lineup ahead of Monday's exhibition against the Dodgers with left calf tightness, Soto was expected to return to game action Tuesday, but the Padres opted to err on the side of caution and had him take at-bats in a controlled environment at camp instead. Soto apparently checked out fine after Tuesday's workout, and the Padres' decision to deploy him in the outfield rather than at designated hitter suggests the calf issue isn't anything that will affect his mobility.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Taking at-bats on back field
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Soto (calf) will get at-bats in a back-field game at Padres camp Tuesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Soto was scratched from a Cactus League game Monday due to tightness in his left calf, but it doesn't seem to be anything overly concerning. He could return to Cactus League action as early as Wednesday and should be just fine for Opening Day, assuming there are no further setbacks.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Good chance to play Tuesday
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Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters that Soto (calf) has a good chance to play Tuesday against the Giants, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Soto was scratched Monday for left calf tightness, but Melvin said that the outfielder's removal from the lineup was precautionary. The outfielder will likely be held out again if there's any sense of tightness again Tuesday, but it does appear that Soto has avoided a significant injury, and he should be fine for the regular season if there aren't any setbacks.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Scratched with left calf tightness
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Soto was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers with left calf tightness.
Soto will be replaced by Taylor Kohlwey in the lineup. Kohlwey will hit seventh, while David Dahl will move up to the second spot against Los Angeles. The Padres have no reason to be anything but careful with one of the best offensive players in baseball, but this is obviously a potential concern for a player that is being drafted highly in eligible formats. There should be further update on Soto's status before the end of Monday.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Drives in five in Cactus League win
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Soto went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, two runs and five RBI in a Cactus League win over Arizona on Sunday.
Soto was part of a ferocious San Diego offensive attack Sunday that resulted in 18 runs, including nine in the second inning. The superstar outfielder's loudest hit was a three-run home run in the fourth inning that gave the Padres a 14-2 lead. Soto had a bit of a down season with a .242/.401/.452 slash line across 663 plate appearances between Washington and San Diego last season, but advanced metrics suggest that he was was still among the best hitters in baseball, which could translate into a major bounce-back campaign in 2023.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Will play left field this year
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Soto will play left field this season for the Padres, manager Bob Melvin told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com on Tuesday.
Soto had previously expressed an openness to moving to the other side of the outfield, as long as he can stick in one spot on a game-to-game basis. This shift will clear out right field for Fernando Tatis Jr., who is eligible to return from his PED suspension April 20. Xander Bogaerts is the new mainstay at shortstop for San Diego.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Reaches massive deal for 2023
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Soto agreed to a one-year, $23 million contract with the Padres on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 24-year-old superstar will receive a significant bump in pay after he made $17.1 million in 2022, and he's now entering his penultimate season before being eligible for free agency. Soto delivered the least productive season of his career in 2022, which was still good for a .242/.401/.452 slash line and 27 home runs in a career-high 153 games.
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Padres' Juan Soto: Record-tying home run in loss
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Soto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLCS, tying Carlos Correa's record of seven postseason home runs before turning 24.
Soto hit a 439-foot blast off Zack Wheeler in the fourth inning of Game 5. The star right fielder turns 24 in just two days, but he was able to launch his seventh postseason home run, giving the Padres their first run of the game. In what was a down year for Soto statistically compared to 2021, he ended the postseason hitting .239 with two homers and seven RBI.
