Soto returns to lineup, feels "really good right now"

LOS ANGELES - Nationals welcomed back slugging left fielder Juan Soto after missing 10 days due to back spasms. He last played in a game May 1 and is batting third tonight against the Dodgers. The Nats went 3-6 without Soto.

Soto was hitting .248 with a .368 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage, and he still leads the team with 22 RBIs and is tied for the lead in homers with six. He has five doubles, 19 walks and 16 runs scored.

"Yeah, he said he's really good to go," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. Yesterday I watched him do the full gamut. He ran the bases, took some balls in the outfield, threw and hit really well. He's excited to be back.

"If you knew Juan he did not like to stay on the IL and he was itching to come back. He looks good so getting him in the lineup extends our lineup a little bit. It will be fun to watch him back out there."

Martinez said he did caution Soto to not overexert himself these first few days, and the club does not believe the back spasms will be an ongoing issue.

"We'll definitely keep an eye on him his first day back," Martinez said. "Conversation with him was 'don't try to do too much, be yourself, go out there and have fun and play the game.'"

Soto was thrilled to be back in the starting lineup and healthy again.

"Good. Amazing. I feel really good right now," Soto said. "I know a little bit more about my body, how it works and everything. I feel very happy to be back."

Soto injured his back during cage work, but did not think it was a big problem. Then his back tightened up and the club had to place him on the 10-day injured list. The training staff then worked on getting him healthy.

"A lot of massages and a couple of exercises for me and (then) more massage, hot tub and other stuff because it was really tight up there so we wanted to get (it) loose," Soto said.

Martinez believes the return this week of Anthony Rendon and Soto back into the lineup will hopefully get the offense to start generating more scoring opportunities.

"It kind of extends our lineup," Martinez said. "Plus you're talking about two guys that are in the middle of our lineup and you get him back so that's kind of nice."

Soto had 10 days to focus on getting better and did not glower over the lack of fastballs he has seen in the first month-plus of the season.

"For me I just tried to put all my body, all my mind and all my heart (into rehab)," Soto said. "So I just tried to get healthy and then I am going to figure out (my hitting) when I get back. I like to see my at-bats but I tried to forget about what happened in the past and start a new season today."

Martinez said Soto knows pitchers will not give him many fastballs and when they do he has to be ready.

"For him it's understanding the strike zone again really, he's got to go back to accepting his walks, and staying in the middle of the field," Martinez said.

Soto said Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long discussed with him before the season began that pitchers would not give him many pitches in his sweet spot, so he would have to be more patient.

"We tried to work with that in the beginning of the season," Soto said. "We started looking for the off-speed and tried to sit on it and don't miss it. If they miss it, make them pay."