Washington Nationals right fielder Juan Soto. Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Soto says he avoided serious injury after leaving game early

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated Jul 4, 2022 12:32 PM ET

Washington Nationals fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it looks like star outfielder Juan Soto has avoided a major calf injury.

The All-Star exited Sunday's loss to the Miami Marlins after appearing to injure his calf in the fourth inning. But Soto told reporters on Monday that he avoided a major injury.

"We're going to be good," he told reporters on Monday, via ESPN. "They said it's just a little tight, so it's going to take a couple days and see how it goes. It all depends on how I feel day by day."

Juan Soto says “everything was fine” on the MRI of his calf. Says it’s “just a little tight.” Will take it day-to-day, but appears to have avoided anything serious.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 4, 2022

Soto was, expectedly, out of the lineup for Monday's matinee against Miami, but for precautionary reasons.

Juan Soto isn’t in the lineup today for the Nationals. pic.twitter.com/j69gvk06kA
— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) July 4, 2022

The 23-year-old hasn't quite reached his dominant form at the plate this season, slashing just .226/.382/.449 with 15 home runs, 33 RBI and 52 stolen bases. He did, however, have an eight-game hitting streak going prior to being injured.

Juan Soto enters today on an eight-game hitting streak, during which he is slashing .346/.500/.615.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) July 3, 2022

Soto isn't the only one of the Nationals having trouble getting going. The team is playing sub-.500 baseball, bringing up the rear in the NL East and trailing the first-place New York Mets by 21 games.

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