The San Diego Padres say Juan Soto is listed as day-to-day with what’s described as a mild oblique strain. While oblique injuries can vary greatly in severity, it’s rare to see a player suffer even a small strain (or less than a Grade 1 type of strain) and not miss any time whatsoever.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Padres err on the side of caution and place Soto on the injured list as a further precaution..
Second injury of the spring for Soto
The Padres rightfielder was limited earlier in Spring Training by a minor calf problem and he only just returned to San Diego’s camp after playing with the Dominican Republic’s team in the World Baseball Classic.
Even after going 0-for-3 Saturday in his first game back from the World Baseball Classic, Soto is batting .571 (8-for-14) with three doubles, a home run and a walk in the Cactus League. In four WBC games, he was 6-for-15 with three double, two homers and three walks. The two home runs traveled 401 feet to right field and 448 feet to center field.
#Padres outfielder Juan Soto crushed his first home run in the WBC for the Dominican Republic! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/KqpQoP91da
— Everything San Diego (@ESDSports_) March 13, 2023
Injury bug is biting in San Diego
Losing Soto for any amount of time obviously will hurt the Padres, who have been repeatedly been hit by injuries this spring. Pitcher Joe Musgrove will miss two starts after dropping a weight on his foot and suffering a broken toe. He’s expected to miss his first two starts. Reliever Adrian Morejon is likely also IL-bound due to elbow inflammation, and Austin Nola suffered a possible broken nose after being hit in the face with a pitch in an exhibition game against the Cubs.
Manager Bob Melvin said there is a chance Nola avoids spending time on the injured list. Melvin also noted that Nola could resume baseball activities as soon as Wednesday. No decisions on Nola’s status for Opening Day have been made yet, but the possibility of him playing still being on the table is a good sign. If he is unable to play, Luis Campusano would likely get the majority of reps behind the plate for San Diego.
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