Yankees right fielder Juan Soto will not go on the injured list after exiting New York’s 8–5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday with forearm tightness, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday afternoon.
“Good news, obviously,” Boone said. “Waiting on that, on those results, I think in the grand scheme of things we got some good news.”
Boone characterized Soto as day-to-day with left forearm inflammation and said he could be available off the bench Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Soto, 25, is slashing an astounding .318/.424/.603 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs this season. His 3.6 bWAR ranks fourth in the American League, and has helped the Yankees start 45–19.
“There might have been some anxious moments in there,” Boone said. “But … also probably a little optimism there, too, because he’s been playing and been playing really well and has been able to play.”
Friday features a jam-packed slate of Major League Baseball action, and there are plenty of ways to bet in the prop market with so many teams playing.
I’ve narrowed down my picks for Friday’s slate to just three, with two starting pitchers and one red-hot hitter getting the nod.
The game of the night on Friday is likely between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge may need to have a big game after Juan Soto exited Thursday night’s contest with left forearm discomfort.
Judge is one of the three players I’m targeting tonight, so let’s dive into the picks for June 7:
Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale is coming off a rough outing to open June, allowing eight earned runs in four innings against the A’s, but I think he’s due for a bounce-back showing against the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Sale was terrific in May, allowing just two earned runs across five starts (32.0 innings of work), so I’m not reading too much into his clunker to start June.
The Braves are 8-3 in Sale’s 11 starts this season, and he’s earned the decision in every win, posting an 8-1 record. Prior to his last outing, Sale had earned the win in seven consecutive starts.
Rather than laying the price on the Braves moneyline, I like taking Sale to earn the win against a Washington team that struggles against left-handed pitching, ranking 27th in MLB in OPS.
Aaron Judge OVER 0.5 Walks (-125)
Judge and Soto have been the best duo in baseball this season, but if Soto misses this game – or extended time – Judge may see less pitches to hit going forward.
As it is, Judge has drawn at least one walk in five straight games, and he’s racked 52 total walks in 64 games so far in 2024.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn’t walk a ton of hitters (just 14 in 12 starts), but I can’t imagine he’ll look to attack Judge every at bat with Soto likely out of the lineup on Friday.
Judge has been great at drawing walks and getting on base for years, so I’ll gladly take him at this price on Friday.
Griffin Canning UNDER 4.5 Strikeouts (-125)
Los Angeles Angels starter Griffin Canning has a tough matchup on Friday, as he’s taking on the Houston Astros, who strikeout a league-low 6.83 times per game this season.
Canning has cleared 4.5 strikeouts in just four of his 12 outings in 2024, and he struck out just two Houston batters across five innings in his first outing against the Stros this season.
Overall, Canning ranks in just the 13th percentile in strikeout percentage this season, so I don’t see him racking up a huge number on this prop against the least strikeout prone offense in the league.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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The New York Yankees pulled off a comeback victory against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon, rallying in the top of the ninth inning as they deftly turned a 5–3 deficit into a 7–5 lead.
After Anthony Volpe hit an RBI triple to make it a one-run game, Soto came to the plate and gave the Yankees the lead, unloading a 398-foot blast to right center field off of Camilo Doval.
Soto took a moment to admire his moonshot, too. After the no-doubt home run came off the bat, Soto stopped and watched it fly into the stands before taking a step and launching a huge bat flip.
The two-run blast in the ninth inning was Soto's second home run of the game. He's now up to 17 homers in his first season in New York as he and Aaron Judge have been putting on a show on a near nightly basis of late.
The Yankees improved to 42–19 with Sunday's win, and Soto's contributions to the victory can't be understated. Aaron Boone commended his performance after the game, too.
"That's some savage at-bats right there," Boone said of the star outfielder via the YES Network.
The team is off on Monday before it returns to New York for a series against the Minnesota Twins, which gets underway on Tuesday.
The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, locked in for a final game of a four-game set on Thursday afternoon to determine the sole leader of the AL East, were delayed briefly for a reason you probably haven't heard before. A wristwatch was causing issues for Juan Soto in the third inning.
Soto complained to the umpire about something out near the batter's eye. There was some confusion both in the stadium and among broadcasters of the game over what the complaint was. The umpire went to the Orioles' dugout to have them make a phone call to the bullpen to communicate with the perpetrator in the outfield.
An official of some sort was sitting in a walkway near the batter's eye in a white shirt, and he briefly moved back a few feet, thinking his shirt was the issue.
"Someone send him an orange shirt!" color commentator Joe Girardi joked on YES Network.
Shortly after, it was clarified that a police officer stationed nearby was the actual issue. His watch face was reflecting the sun toward home plate, making it difficult for Soto to see where the ball was.
We had a brief delay as Juan Soto complained about the badge/watch of a police officer stationed beyond the centerfield wall. That's a new one!
