Juan Soto's visible hand pain vs. Rays proves Yankees have tough decision to make

The Yankees, reeling about as much as a baseball team can reel right now, will face off with the Baltimore Orioles in a Weekend Reel-Off at Camden Yards. It would be difficult to envision them standing much of a chance of making a statement without their all-world right fielder Juan Soto, but the slugger gave Yankees brass another reason for pessimism late in Thursday's game in Tampa.

Soto, who homered deep to the opposite field earlier in the contest, drilled a double, and took a walk, is still less than two weeks removed from getting scratched against the Blue Jays after banging his hand on the ground during a violent slide, then defiantly reinserting himself into the lineup the very next day and inspiring the team to victory.

It said a lot about Soto's character. It also said a lot about the challenge the Yankees will have to navigate down the stretch with their superstar, who's already refused removal once, and will likely take plenty of convincing any time the "pause" button is the prudent move from hereon out.

On Thursday, Soto took a powerful hack at a Jason Adam pitch in the top of the seventh and came up visibly shaking his sore hand. He grimaced, collected himself, and later struck out. If there's no risk of reaggravation and further damage -- and there better not be -- then Soto should be playing if he can capably grip a bat. His earlier homer seemed to indicate he was feeling smooth at the plate. But if he's one swing away from coming up this lame -- and this isn't the first time this series where he seemed unstable on a hack -- then the Yankees need to have a serious internal conversation on Friday morning about how much of an "All-Star break" they can give to one of the game's faces.

Yankees' Juan Soto clearly still feeling effects of hand injury vs. Rays

The Yankees are in no position to refuse contributions from a man who is literally Juan Soto. With the standings tightening by the day, New York can't afford to have a "rest up for the playoffs" mentality with that end goal becoming ever cloudier.

Still, if you think this looks bad now, imagine the view without Soto in perpetuity? It's both a free agency nightmare, and a grim reminder of the current situation. Soto remained in this particular game, taking the field in the bottom of the seventh. The Camden series and the All-Star Game might be different matters entirely.