Juan Soto approached manager Aaron Boone during the game and mentioned that his sore left knee felt good enough for him to take an at-bat if needed.
That moment arrived in the 10th inning, where Soto hit an RBI double, helping the New York Yankees secure a 4-2 victory against the Oakland Athletics.
“It was great — showman-like,” said starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. “He loves the moment. He loves it.”
Soto was originally taken out of the starting lineup due to swelling and pain in his knee, which he injured while sliding into a concrete wall to make a catch in Seattle.
After getting X-rays that showed no serious injury, he received treatment and practiced in the batting cage, doing squats to ensure his knee was ready.
“It reacted pretty well,” Soto shared. “So throughout the game, I was feeling good. It wasn’t sore or anything after all the work that we put in. That’s when I knew I would have a good chance to be an option.”
When the 10th inning started, Boone initially hesitated to use Soto, thinking the Athletics might intentionally walk him with a runner on second. However, after Anthony Rizzo got a single and put runners on the corners, Boone decided to go for it.
“Once we got the first and third, I was going to take my shot right there,” he explained.
A passed ball by Shea Langeliers allowed the go-ahead run to score, and Soto then drove the ball to the opposite field for an RBI double, giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
This moment capped off a day that began with worry, which only eased after Soto’s X-ray results came back clear.
“It’s always scary,” Soto said. “It’s always part of it. Definitely we hoped for the best. But anything can happen. When I saw that it came back negative, it was really a relief.”
