Nationals outfielder Juan Soto will miss the season opener against the Yankees on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Washington will host the Yankees on Thursday night at Nationals Park.
Soto, 21, finished ninth in the National League MVP voting in 2019. He bashed 34 homers and drove in 110 runs, posting a .949 OPS. Soto shined in the 2019 playoffs, tallying three World Series homers as Washington defeated the Astros in seven games.
Thursday marks MLB's opening day for the 2020 season, nearly four months after the season's intended start date.