Washington fans welcome Juan Soto back to Nationals Park: "Still a Nat by heart"

San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto was welcomed back by the Washington Nationals fans on his second return to Nationals Park since his move away from the capital last season. The former Nationals player is still revered by the fans in Washington for his time with the team. While the Padres beat the Nationals 7-4 in their series opener, fans were happy to see their former player's return and even hoped for the possibility of him returning to Washington in the near future.

Juan Soto signed for the Washington Nationals in July 2015 as an international free agent and went on to make his MLB debut for them in 2018. During his time with the Nationals, Soto became the youngest rookie in the league and went on to win the World Series with them in 2019. He has also picked up three Silver Slugger awards and two All-Star appearances in his career. He was one of the fan favorites in Washington and one of the star players in the MLB during his time there.

However, Soto has struggled to replicate his earlier form for the Padres, which has given Washington fans hope for a return to the capital. On Tuesday's game, Juan Soto rolled back the clock with a homer to extend the Padres' lead to 5-3 in the seventh inning. The fans took to social media to voice their admiration of him.

"Well deserved! Guy is a WS champ and never truly wanted to leave. Just wanted to get paid," wrote one fan on Twitter. "No matter how he is doing, he is still a Nat by heart, and we demand to have him back soon," aded another.

Juan Soto and the Padres continue to struggle in the MLB

The 2023 MLB season has not been an easy one for the San Diego Padres and Juan Soto. The Padres are coming off three series defeats and currently sit second to bottom in their division. While their win against the Washington Nationals was encouraging, they need to build some consistency over a long period if they want to make a push for the postseason.