Yankees Dodge Disaster With MVP Favorite's Initial Injury Prognosis

The New York Yankees have dodged a bullet after learning the initial injury prognosis of their MVP favorite.

Jun 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with outfielder Juan Soto (22) after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, regarding their MVP favorite superstar slugger.

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, outfielder Juan Soto's initial prognosis is inflammation after receiving an MRI for forearm tightness on Friday afternoon. Soto will be seen by a radiologist to confirm the diagnosis, as Heyman reported as well.

Soto is out of the Yankees' lineup on Friday, but this is likely just the organization's plan to take precautionary measures with their prized star, who has been dealing with a forearm issue for the past week that has not gone away. SNY's Andy Martino reported that Soto would not have been taken out of Thursday night's game if not for the rain delay, which would have forced the slugger to ramp things back up.

As manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Friday afternoon, the Yankees expect Soto to avoid a trip to the IL and he could be available for their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend, potentially as soon as tonight.

After being pulled from the Yankees' matchup with the Minnesota Twins following a rain delay on Thursday night, Soto told reporters that his forearm tightness does not bother him when throwing in the outfield or swinging the bat.

This appears to be the truth, as Soto has shown no signs of slowing down as of late given his stellar performance on both sides of the diamond.

To begin his Yankee career, Soto has crushed 17 home runs, driven in 53 RBIs, and slashed .318/.424/.603 with a 1.027 OPS. Soto, Yankee captain and fellow superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, who is also an MVP candidate, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton have combined for 53 home runs this season. It is a big reason why the Yankees are off to an impressive 45-19 start.

It remains to be seen whether the Yankees will be able to keep up this red-hot stretch to begin the season, but they will need a healthy Soto for the long haul in order to do so. For now, it sounds like Soto is day-to-day, but an IL stint wouldn't be the end of the world so he can heal up and return in a timely fashion to continue to make a major impact for the team.