Juan Soto He was not in the starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics because of some knee inflammation, but came off the bench.
With runners on the corners in a 1-1 game in the tenth inning, the manager Aaron Boone Soto came in to drive in a run. Although the runner on third scored on a passed ball, Soto hit an opposite-field double to give the Yankees another run. On the way to a 4-2 team victory.
“(Soto) came up to me at the end of the game and I felt like it was an option,” Boone said after the game. “Once we had first and third base, I was going to go for it right away.”
He Yankees The outfielder was initially in the starting lineup but was pulled hours before the first pitch. Boone said X-rays on Soto’s knee were negative, but the team isn’t too worried about this being a long-term issue.
Soto suffered the knee injury when he made a sliding catch in foul territory in Thursday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners. Soto slid and caught the ball, but his right knee hit the wall. After writhing in pain for a moment and being attended to by Yankees trainers, he remained in the game.
Following the Yankees’ win, New York remains four games ahead of the Orioles for first place in the American League East following Baltimore’s win earlier in the day. However, the Yankees’ magic number to clinch the division is now five.