Despite loss, Soto "feels good to be back," contributes RBI double

After missing the first 13 days of the regular season, Juan Soto took the field for the first time in 2020 for a game that counted, going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI in the Nationals' 3-1 setback against the Mets at Nats Park Wednesday night.

Despite the loss, Soto was happy to finally return and play after being away from the team due to a positive test result for COVID-19.

"It feels good to be back, be with the team, try to have fun in the game and everything," Soto said during a postgame Zoom video call. "It feels amazing to be with my team and my teammates and be ready to go.

"I'm happy to play the sport, what I love to do and everything. I just try to play hard. Every time I'm in the field, it don't matter whatever, if I'm in there, it's because I'm going to give it my hundred percent."

Soto doubled to left field in his first at-bat and singled to right field in his second opportunity. Mets starter Rick Porcello later got him with a called third strike in the sixth.

Soto made the opposite-field double look easy, but gave all credit to Porcello (1-1) for the way he got after the Nats all night. The right-hander allowed only one run on five hits through seven innings, striking out four and walking none.

"It set everything for the game, it set everything up," Soto said of his RBI double that scored the Nats' only run. "I felt good in that at-bat. Next at-bat, again. The third at-bat, I struck out but I was still feeling good because he made a great pitch up and in. The last at-bat (in the ninth, against Seth Lugo), I just swung at a bad pitch. But I feel really good in all four at-bats. I tried to do my best, and tried to get on base.

"He's a really good pitcher. He's got really good stuff. He just kept everybody off balance. But we tried the most that we can to try to put him out of the game, but at the end of the day, he just made his pitches and we just can't get it."

In his final at-bat, with the Nats down two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Soto struck out swinging on a 97-mph four-seam fastball from Lugo.

"He was good," manager Davey Martinez said during his postgame Zoom video call. "His first at-bat he took a breaking ball and smoked it to left field for a double. Took a ball up and in, stay inside the ball, base hit to right, but he looked good. He really did. A little jumpy, but that's to be expected his first game back. For me, I love writing his name in the lineup hitting fourth. It's nice.

"Hopefully continue to build him up and he gets ready to play and we can put him out there every day. I always say he's 21 years old, doesn't take him long to get ready, get loose. But we definitely got to keep an eye on him."

In the first three rows of left field near the foul pole the team had placed life-size cardboard cutouts of Soto's family members, especially those uncles who have not been able to see him play baseball in person. Soto paused and acknowledged the pictures of his family when he took his defensive position in the top of the first.

"I just wanted to feel my family here," Soto said of the cutouts. "With all this has been crazy, I just want to feel my family back there. I have a couple uncles who never been in the field, in the stadium. So, it's their first time. It feels like they are out there. I'm playing for them, I play for all my family, and everything I do is for them."

The extended Soto family has been unable to travel to see him play this season because of the restrictions set in place at stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"That was awesome," Martinez said of the images in the stands. "(But) I think he opened up a can of worms. We will see what happens. I'd like to get some (cutout pictures) of my kids out there."

There was a scary moment in the second inning on defense when Soto appeared to slam his face into the ground to make a diving catch of an Andrés Giménez line drive into left field. He got to one knee slowly, but was able to stay in the game. Soto said he actually felt the fall more in his wrist after the play.

"It was a low line drive," Soto said. "I just tried to keep the ball in front of me. When I get close to the ball, I see the ball is diving, so I had to take the decision and try to dive. Finally, I caught it. I feel good about catching it. My wrist got a little bit under my body, it hurts a little bit. After that, it feels good. My wrist, everything was good."

The skipper was nervous to see Soto go down, but was relieved to see him get back up and stay in the game.

"The play he made in the outfield was a tough play. Glad he got up and was OK, but he played well," Martinez said. "We got a day off tomorrow. I'll probably check in with him tomorrow and see how he is doing, but anticipate he'll be ready to go on Friday."

Soto stayed in the game and played nine innings. He said postgame he will rest and get treatment on Thursday.

"I don't play nine innings in a long time," Soto said. "I'm going to try to rest my legs, try to get a little treatment in my wrist and in my legs, try to keep in shape and try to come ready Friday."