The Washington Nationals experienced a scare Sunday during the team's first win at Citi Field of the season.
In the top of the seventh inning, outfielder Juan Soto was hustling around third base when he saw a late stop sign from base coach Bob Henley. As the 20-year-old phenom attempted to stop, he rolled his right ankle and was unable to get back to his feet before being tagged out. Soto would leave the game.
“I stayed there and made myself out,” Soto said after the Nats 7-4 win, via The Washington Post. “After that, I started feeling pinches in my ankle. But right now, it’s feeling better.”
The team diagnosed Soto with a mild right ankle sprain after x-rays came back negative and Washington said he is day-to-day.
Soto says he’s okay, feels better, he could maybe even play tomorrow. Says he didn’t want to come out but made joke with trainers he came out so Victor Robles would hit that HR haha. Great to see him in good spirits! #Nats
— Alex Chappell (@AlexChappell) August 11, 2019Manager Davey Martinez told the media after the game he had to fight to keep Soto from playing the rest of the game.
“I was fighting him, ‘Just come out, let's go take care of this,’” Martinez said. “Hopefully in a day or two he's good to go."
Fortunetly for the Natsionals, Soto's replacement Victor Robles added a two-run home run in the top of the ninth.
With the win Washington improved to 62-55 on the season to remain 1.5 games ahead of the New York Mets in second in the NL East.
Victor Robles goes yard in the #Nats' 7-4 win over the Mets! pic.twitter.com/Q5xZvVQ58Y
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) August 11, 2019Follow @BenKrimmel and @1067theFan on Twitter.
