Padres News: Juan Soto Yanked From Lineup Ahead of Final Yankees Game This Weekend
Literally just minutes before the San Diego Padres were set to hit the field for their final game against the New York Yankees this weekend, it has been announced by the clubhouse that Juan Soto will NOT be suiting up with the starters for the first time this year.
The reasoning for this has been listed as back tightness but the 24-year-old slugger will be available to hit off of the bench. The Padres announced this move via Twitter and Sammy Levitt shared the updated lineup.
Juan Soto has been scratched from today's Padres lineup with back tightness and will be available off the bench, per the Padres.
New lineup: Tatis RF 1B Bogaerts SS Carpenter DH Odor 2B Kim 3B Grisham CF Azocar LF Nola C Darvish P
This is a huge change for a San Diego team that dropped their Saturday outing against the Yankees in disappointing fashion. Soto has returned to the electric player that we all know him as this month with a batting average of .338 to go with five homers.
Manny Machado remains on the IL as he nurses a hairline fracture that has been a problem all week for him so that is another star that they will be without. Luckily for the Padres, they've gotten some nice production out of Rougned Odor and Ha-Seong Kim as of late so even though they are not Soto, they will need to step up.
A number of batting order changes were made once the Soto news hit and Xander Bogaerts, who has been dealing with wrist pain, will get run at the number three spot now. Matt Carpenter will serve at the cleanup spot and Trent Grisham will not get a swing until the first six go.
We'll see how this game plays out and if the Padres can pull off a huge upset on the road!
