Soto returns to lineup, coaches return to Nats dugout

Juan Soto is back in the Nationals lineup, his right knee feeling better five days after he tweaked it running the bases.

Soto, who was held out of the lineup for the Nats' entire weekend series in Atlanta, was cleared to return to full-time duties tonight for the opener of a three-game series in New York.

"I talked to him; he felt pretty good," manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "He felt like he could play today. He went through his routine. He's going out there to take batting practice. But he says he feels pretty good, so he's in there today."

Soto first felt something wrong in his right while taking his secondary lead off second base in the ninth inning of Thursday's loss to the Phillies. He was held out of the lineup all weekend against the Braves, though he did pinch-hit both Saturday and Sunday without issue.

The Nationals' biggest concern with the 22-year-old slugger remains running, so they will keep a close eye on him if he reaches base.

"It's kind of the stop-and-go," Martinez said. "That's when he felt it, the secondary lead. So I'll keep an eye on him. But he ran better today. He said he wanted to play, so I'll monitor and watch him and see where he's at."

A Nationals lineup that already lost Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison at the trade deadline was stretched incredibly thin while Soto was sidelined. Martinez twice used Yadiel Hernandez as his No. 3 hitter, then for the first time in five years played Josh Bell in right field as a means to also get Ryan Zimmerman in the same lineup.

In six games following the trade deadline with Soto in the lineup, the Nationals scored an average of 4.7 runs and produced a .769 OPS. In three games without Soto, they scored an average of 3.7 runs with a .666 OPS.

Soto was in a bit of a funk before getting hurt. Despite a torrid 13-game stretch coming out of the All-Star break in which he hit .413/.542/.913 with seven homers and 16 RBIs, he has hit just .240/.424/.320 with zero homers and zero RBIs in nine games since the trade deadline.

* As expected, the five members of Martinez's coaching staff, plus four other staffers who tested positive for COVID-19 nearly two weeks ago are back to work tonight.

Pitching coach Jim Hickey, bench coach Tim Bogar, first base coach Randy Knorr, third base coach Bob Henley and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler all were cleared and will be in uniform tonight at Citi Field. Their replacements (Double-A Harrisburg pitching coach Sam Narron, Triple-A Rochester pitching coach Michael Tejera, Triple-A hitting coach Brian Daubach, outfield and baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman and major league bullpen coach Henry Blanco) have all returned to their regular positions.

"It's good to see those guys back," Martinez said. "We spent a few minutes together, more than a few minutes. But it's good to see them back in the clubhouse ready to go."