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Trabajó mucho, así que merece descansar.

Trabajó mucho, así que merece descansar.
He worked a lot, so he deserves to rest.
From Lesson 199:Result connectors (así que, por lo tanto)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Trabajó mucho, así que merece descansar.

What does así que mean here, and could I use por lo tanto instead?
Así que translates to "so" and is used to show the result of an action. You could absolutely use por lo tanto (therefore) here instead. However, así que is much more common in everyday spoken Spanish, while por lo tanto can sound a bit more formal or written.
Does así que ever need the subjunctive, or is it always followed by a normal indicative verb like merece?
Así que is almost always followed by the indicative (normal) mood, like merece, because it declares a result or a fact. You will only see it with the subjunctive if it introduces a direct command or a strong wish, but for stating simple consequences like this, always stick to the indicative.
Why is the first verb (trabajó) in the past tense, but the second one (merece) is in the present?
Connectors like así que often link different timeframes. The first action, trabajó (he worked), is in the preterite because the hard work is a completed event in the past. The result, merece (he deserves), is a current fact that is true right now.
Why is it just descansar? Don't we need a word for "to" like in the English translation "deserves to rest"?
In Spanish, the infinitive form descansar already means "to rest." Furthermore, the verb merecer (to deserve) connects directly to an infinitive verb without needing a linking preposition like a or de in between.

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