WATCH: Soto receives standing ovation during Nats-Padres game originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Padres outfielder Juan Soto was honored by his old Washington teammates during the first of a three-game series between the Nationals and the San Diego Padres.
The 45-second pregame ovation was well-deserved. Every single person in the red sea of the crowd was standing and applauding for their former outfielder.
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The star hit a foul ball into left field that was caught, ending his first at-bat with an out for the Padres.
Either way, Soto saw the love right off the bat when he entered the stadium today.
Check out how fans reacted to Soto’s return to Washington:
Before the first pitch, Washington Nationals took to Twitter with a personalized message from Soto to Nats fans. “Thank you for being there for me,” said Soto. “You guys were there every single day. I love y’all. Even if I have another team uniform, I still love you guys.”
Tonight’s Nationals-Padres game is Soto’s first time back playing in the nation’s capital since he was dealt at the trade deadline.
The former Nationals outfielder was traded to San Diego on Aug. 2, 2022 after Padres general manager A.J. Preller devised a blockbuster deal to acquire the All-Star slugger.
