TORONTO — Juan Soto was scratched from the Yankees’ lineup against the Blue Jays on Saturday at Rogers Centre with a bruised right hand, the club announced.
Soto sustained the injury on a fourth-inning slide into home plate Friday night, scoring on J.D. Davis’ groundout. He played the rest of the Bombers’ 16-5 victory, including crushing a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning off lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
The Yankees said that Soto would undergo initial imaging on Saturday in Toronto.
An updated lineup was announced approximately 20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch Saturday, with first baseman Ben Rice elevated to the No. 2 spot and Oswaldo Cabrera taking Soto’s place in right field.
A leading candidate to start in the American League outfield during next month’s All-Star Game, Soto is slashing .302/.434/.570 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs in 81 games.
Soto leads the Majors in on-base percentage, walks (69) and times on base (159). He ranks second in runs scored (68), third in WAR among position players per FanGraphs (4.9) and OPS (1.004).
