The Dominican Republic opened their World Baseball Classic campaign with a loss against Venezuela on Saturday.
After a rest day on Sunday, they were able to bounce back and defeat Nicaragua on Monday to take their record to 1-1 in Pool D of the tournament.
San Diego Padres star Juan Soto was a fixture in the lineup in both of those games.
He had an extra-base hit against Venezuela, then homered against Nicaragua and added an outfield assist.
He is hitting .444 in the WBC, so it’s fair to say his calf injury is not a concern.
The Padres want to be extra cautious, though, and aren’t letting him play every day.
“Juan Soto says he feels healthy and wants to play every day in the WBC, but the Padres aren’t letting him,” the LA Times’ Jorge Castillo tweeted.
Juan Soto says he feels healthy and wants to play every day in the WBC, but the Padres aren't letting him. https://t.co/3ykSZsiCH2
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) March 13, 2023
The Dominican Republic will play a pivotal game against Israel on Tuesday, and Soto is not expected to be in the lineup barring a change of plans.
Both the Dominican Republic and Israel are 1-1 so far in the tournament.
Losing a second game would be a death sentence to their chances of qualifying, so the game is of absolute importance.
Puerto Rico and Venezuela both already have two victories: for the Dominican Republic, losing is not an option considering the sky-high expectations placed on them.
There seems to be conflicting reports about Soto’s availability for tonight’s game at loanDepot Park, but the initial plan is to hold him out of the lineup.
Perhaps things can change throughout the day.
In a must-win game, manager Rodney Linares should be able to count on one of his best players, the one who has a .950 career OPS in the majors.
NEXT: Padres Fans Are Given The Perfect 2023 Preview In The WBC
