Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto has been cleared to play by Major League Baseball, according to manager Dave Martinez.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman first reported that MLB had cleared Soto after five negative COVID-19 tests but that Soto is waiting for clearance from the Washington, D.C., government.

Per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, Martinez said the Nationals hope Soto is cleared by the government by Saturday, meaning he would make his season debut Tuesday against the New York Mets.

Soto was confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 just prior to the Nats' Opening Day game against the New York Yankees and has yet to appear in a contest this season.

The Nationals will face the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and Thursday, but their scheduled road series against the Miami Marlins from Friday through Sunday has been postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak throughout the Marlins organization.

Prior to the start of the 2020 season, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross both opted out of the campaign because of coronavirus-related concerns.

Soto is a hugely important player for the Nats in 2020, as third baseman Anthony Rendon signed with the Los Angeles Angels in free agency. As a result, Soto is now clearly Washington's go-to offensive anchor.

The 21-year-old broke into the big leagues in 2018 and hit .292 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI in 116 games, but he impressed even more last season by hitting .282 with 34 homers and 110 RBI.

Soto also hit .277 with five home runs and 14 RBI during Washington's playoff run in 2019, including a .333 average, three homers and seven RBI in the Nats' World Series win over the Houston Astros.

The Nationals finally got over the hump and claimed a title in spite of the departure of outfielder Bryce Harper to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency, and Soto's progression was a big reason for that.

With no Harper, Rendon or Soto through the first five games of this season, however, the Nats are tied for the worst record in the majors at 1-4.

The Nationals have some capable hitters such as Howie Kendrick, Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Trea Turner, Victor Robles and Adam Eaton, but none of them are middle-of-the-order studs like Soto.

With Soto cleared to return to action by MLB, the Nats will soon have a chance to turn things around and make some noise this season despite their slow start.