The New York Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in an 11-inning epic Friday night. It was their first game of the season without superstar Juan Soto, who has been nothing short of a hero for the team thus far.
Soto, who's day-to-day with left forearm inflammation, sounded off on how he's feeling after the game, via YES Network.
“It was what I was looking for,” Soto said about his MRI results. “Just trying to see what was really going on with my elbow. We were thinking a little bit about how it was going to be like, and thank god it came back that way.”
The three-time All-Star was pulled out during a rain delay against the Minnesota Twins Thursday night after feeling soreness. He sat in uniform on the bench Friday, looking hungry to take the field. Although the injury isn't serious, New York will still be cautious with their newest box-office attraction.
“It's a relief,” Soto continued. “It was a tough spot where my elbow was kind of right there, but now I feel good.”
When asked if he had an estimated return date, he said “We'll see for the next couple days how I feel. We're gonna do day by day.”
It doesn't seem as if the former Washington National will be out long, though, as he pushed to play in Friday's game.
“Definitely,” Soto continued. “It's tough to see the game from the bench, I don't like that. I try my best to be out there and help the team.
For now, it appears that New York has dodged a massive bullet. What can the team learn about itself with Soto out the next few games?
This mini stretch will test the Yankees' hitting depth
Yankee fans might have been reminded of some of the team's rough 2023 stretches Friday night. The team was often too dependent on Aaron Judge offensively, causing it to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Without Soto in the lineup, New York had a quiet day at the plate. It didn't score until Judge hit an RBI single in the 11th inning, but it was too little, too late by that point. The team finished with just one run on five hits.
It's a long season, and one bad game against top-flight hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn't necessarily indicate a doom-and-gloom future. However, it would buy Yankees fans peace of mind to see the team hit well sans-Soto over the next couple of contests.
Team veterans like Anthony Rizzo (.228 batting average), Gleyber Torres (.229), and D.J. Lemahieu (.154) will have added pressure on them to break out of their respective hitting slumps. They were a combined 0-for-12 with three strikeouts on Friday, which won't cut it long-term.
However, New York's pitching remains elite, which could carry the team even when the bats struggle. Yankees manager Aaron Boone had high praise for third-year starter Cody Poteet, who blanked Los Angeles across 4.2 innings, via SNY.
“He did everything he needed to do,” Boone stated simply.
Now, New York needs its hitters to follow suit.
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