Juan Soto is back for the Nats. But for the moment, he’s their high-caliber pinch hitter.

Soto, 22, was activated off the injured list Tuesday afternoon. He spent 15 days there with a strained left shoulder. His swings are pain-free, he says, and he has long tossed at 120 feet. But he hasn’t thrown to bases, a step he can’t skip before returning to right field. In the next two meetings with the Braves, it is likely that Yadiel Hernández or Andrew Stevenson starts in Soto’s place. Then Soto can join the lineup as a designated hitter at Yankee Stadium this weekend.