Juan Soto had fans holding their breath during a tense at-bat against the Royals. With the Yankees down 1-0 and runners on, he battled lefty Cole Ragans in a crucial spot. Ragans tried to fool him with a mix of high fastballs and low breaking stuff, but Soto stayed disciplined. He spit on a slider, laid off a curve, and finally swung at a low slider that bounced off his foot. He immediately started hopping in pain, and Yankee Stadium went silent. Trainers checked on him, and the replay showed the ball hit an unprotected spot on his foot.
Despite that, Soto stayed in. On the next pitch, Ragans tossed a changeup that Soto fouled off. Then came another breaking ball. This one hung in the zone, and Soto didn’t miss. He launched it into the seats, flipping the game in the Yankees’ favor. The dugout exploded. Rizzo and Wells celebrated awkwardly. Soto limped around the bases, visibly hurting but fired up. It was classic Soto — patient, powerful, and unshaken by pain. Two pitches after getting hit, he turned a scare into a go-ahead homer.