Is Juan Soto playing tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies? | 2022 MLB season

The San Diego Padres have relied heavily on star outfielder Juan Soto in the second half of their season. After making a splash in the NLDS against the LA Dodgers, he is expected to play in the first game of the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Juan Soto broke into the league in 2018 as a member of the Washington Nationals. In his rookie season, he finished with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs. This was enough for him to place second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was narrowly beaten by Mets star Pete Alonso.

Juan Soto was seen by many as the present and future of the Nationals franchise until Trade Deadline day in 2022. It was then that Soto was shipped west, to the San Diego Padres, a team that was looking to score a playoff spot for the first time since 2006.

"The Dodgers letting Juan Soto take second base like this" - @ MLB Errors

In 52 games with the Padres in 2022, Soto registered six home runs and 16 RBIs. He was also able to get on base and produce trouble for opposing teams. Since joining the Padres, he has an OBP of .388.

However, Soto's season was cut short when he received a howitzer of a pitch to the back in early September. The incident visibly shook Soto, but he was back before long, and in great form.

"You gotta love AJ Preller if you’re a baseball fan! He went for it all when he had the chance to get a generational talent in Juan Soto. The SF Giants used to have a GM like that in Brian Sabean. It brought them 3 WS Titles. Now they shop at the 99 Cents Store." - @ Dan Coccimiglio

Ironically, Grisham stepped up in Soto's absence. Grisham is leading the Padres with three home runs and six RBIs in seven games this postseason. However, Padres fans are more than happy to have Soto back in the lineup. His presence both in the box and on the field drastically increases the Padres' chances of winning.

Although Grisham looks to be stepping up in a way that Soto has not, it is still likely that we will see Soto in Game 1 against the Phillies. Soto's youth and agility make him too important for the Padres to forego at this critical time of the season.