Grüße und Vorstellung » It might seem as if Juan Soto has a big hol

WEST PALM BEACH http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , Fla. (AP) — e to fill in the Washington Nationals‘ lineup, what with Bryce Harper gone.Soto is not the sort to worry about that type of thing, though. Last season’s surprise runner-up as NL Rookie of the Year at age 19, he’s carefree and self-believing as can be, by all accounts.Which is good, because he could very well be the No. 3 hitter for Washington, counted on to make the offense go. Everyone around Soto seems to think he’ll be up for whatever challenges Year 2 brings.“He’s as ready as you could possibly be at, shoot, 20 years old,” Nationals closer Sean Doolittle said Thursday, before Soto homered for the second consecutive exhibition game. “He has a very mature approach — the way he prepares. He loves doing all the work behind the scenes. He’s always in the cage or in the weight room. Keeps his head down. He’s a quiet guy, by nature, and he doesn’t seek out the spotlight.”Young as he is, Soto sounds like an old soul, speaking about the “process” of spring training during his first taste of big league camp — he started last season http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , believe it or not, at low-A ball — and getting ready for the regular season “step by step, every day.”Asked whether he can improve on what he showed last year, Soto crossed his arms and replied: “My approach with that is: just the same.”The Nationals certainly would take more of the same.Soto made his debut last May after all of eight games at Double-A and he hit .292 with 22 homers, 25 doubles and 70 RBIs in only 116 games. He walked a whopping 79 times, helping produce a .406 on-base percentage. His slugging percentage was .517. His three multihomer games were the most by a teenager in big league history.“I don’t see any difference from where he was last year to where he is this year. If I had to say anything, maybe a little bit more confident, that he knows he belongs here,” manager Dave Martinez said. “And that’s a good feeling.”No one is too worried about Soto’s hitting. The two key areas that need shoring up: defense and baserunning.Martinez knows it. So does Soto, who learned left field on the fly in Washington a year ago, having played only seven games there in the minors, where he usually was in right or center.Every morning in Florida, Soto said, he puts in extra work with his glove.“It was almost borderline unfair that we put him out in left field, but it was by necessity Danny Salazar Jersey ,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “What he has shown us, in so many different ways, is the mental maturity and the outstanding makeup of a superstar player. And he is not satisfied.”The quality that stands out to everyone is Soto’s discipline at the plate, something he began honing at the prompting of a hitting coach in the minors.“He doesn’t swing unless it’s a strike. That’s pretty impressive. Pretty hard to do at the highest level when you’re a teenager,” Nationals shortstop Trea Turner said.Turner thinks that skill will help Soto “counteract” whatever adjustments opposing pitchers make when facing him this season.“We saw last year that his approach at the plate is really, really advanced. You don’t see him over-swing and get outside of his mechanics and try to do too much,” Doolittle said. “You see him use the whole field. You see him really dial it in with two strikes. It lends itself to giving himself a good chance to follow up and pick up where he left off. I’m excited to see what he does next.” CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber isn’t letting up as the regular season winds down.Kluber struck out 11 in eight innings to record his career-high 19th win as the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Tuesday night.Although the Indians have locked up their third straight AL Central title, Kluber’s goal is simple: Go into the postseason pitching as well as possible.“I don’t want to go out there and think like it’s spring training because we’ve already clinched,” he said. “The best way to stay locked in is to keep your foot on the gas, so to speak, and stay in that competitive mind frame.”Kluber (19-7), who allowed three runs, topped 200 strikeouts for the fifth straight season. Kluber won 18 games in three of the previous four seasons, including his two AL Cy Young Award-winning years, 2014 and 2017.“Vintage Kluber http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey ,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “He kept it low in the zone, and kept driving it lower and lower. He stays below the zone, so you have to make adjustments.”Omar Narvaez walked and Matt Davidson singled with two outs in the eighth, but Kluber retired Ryan LaMarre on a groundout.In his previous start on Sept. 10, Kluber lasted only 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs against Tampa Bay. His turn in the rotation was moved back a day to line him up to start Game 1 of the Division Series, which begins Oct. 5.“Obviously, I had a pretty short outing last time, so I was able to get a pretty long side (session) in a couple days after that,” Kluber said. “It actually worked out fine timing-wise to where I was able to get two in.”Indians All-Star second baseman Jose Ramirez was hit on the left arm by Carlos Rodon’s pitch in the fifth inning and walked from the plate in obvious pain. Ramirez spoke with manager Terry Francona and a team trainer, but stayed in the game and stole second base moments later.“Fortunately it got him above the elbow, but it got him pretty good,” Francona said.Jason Kipnis homered and Yandy Diaz added a two-run single when Cleveland scored three times in the fifth.Andrew Miller struck out three in the ninth but allowed the potential tying run to reach base. With one out, Welington Castillo reached on Yan Gomes‘ passed ball on strike three.Miller struck out Yolmer Sanchez before Tim Anderson blooped a single to right. Miller then fanned Daniel Palka to end the game. The left-hander, who has been on the disabled list three times, picked up his second save and first since April 9.“It keeps your adrenaline going Edwin Encarnacion Jersey ,” Miller said about pitching the ninth. “You don’t want to mess it up. As much fun as I’ve ever had is closing out games. I love looking up at the scoreboard and looking up at the lineup card, trying to get through that.”Rodon (6-6) allowed five runs in seven innings. Palka and Narvaez hit solo homers in the sixth for the White Sox.White Sox slugger Jose Abreu will miss the series because of an infection in his right thigh. Abreu is batting .320 (16 for 50) with five homers and 12 RBIs in his career against Kluber.Melky Cabrera’s RBI double and Yan Gomes’ run-scoring single gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the second.Josh Donaldson, who was acquired from Toronto on Aug. 31, drew a leadoff walk and scored from first on Cabrera’s hit. Donaldson also walked in the fourth, but was 0-for-2 and is batting .133 (2 for 15) in five games with Cleveland.The Indians rested most of their regulars Sunday, a day after clinching the division. Francona returned to his usual lineup Tuesday night with the exception of designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who has missed the last two games after tweaking his ankle.RARE OPPORTUNITYMiller admitted he thought about getting a fourth strikeout in the ninth inning.“I’m not going to lie,” he said. “It crossed my mind. Uhh, nah. I’m just trying to get outs.”SLUGGING YOUNGSTERSPalka leads AL rookies with 25 home runs and has homered four times in seven games on Chicago’s trip. He briefly moved into a tie for the major league lead among rookies before Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his 26th on Tuesday.TRAINER’S ROOMWhite Sox: OF Nicky Delmonico (stiff neck) was a late scratch. He was injured Sunday while diving for a ball in Baltimore.Indians: Francona said Encarnacion will return Wednesday.UP NEXTWhite Sox RHP Dylan Covey (5-13, 5.64 ERA) takes on RHP Carlos Carrasco (16-8, 3.41) in the middle game of the series. Carrasco has won both of his starts against Chicago this season, allowing one unearned run in 14 innings.