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Mets Manager Addresses Latest Juan Soto Controversy in Red Sox Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:26 AM ET

Juan Soto asked for the brightest spotlight to be on his performance when signing the biggest contract in professional sports history.

So far, the 26-year-old Mets superstar, in his first year in Queens, doesn't seem to mind. However, after a 1-for-10 series in his return to the Bronx, Soto might be in for more questions about the little moments in games.

In Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, Soto launched a fly ball to left field in the direction of the Green Monster, a ball that he clearly thought was gone.

Soto didn't hustle immediately out of the box, and as the ball ricocheted off of the top of the wall, Soto was limited to a single because of his watching the ball.

Soto did steal second in what was his fourth stolen base in his last five games, but the superstar and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza were faced with questions from the media about Soto's potential lack of hustle on that hit.

Mendoza said: "He thought he had it. In this ballpark, with that wall right there, you gotta get out of the box. We'll discuss that."

The Mets manager added that they would have a conversation with Soto about hustling out of the box.

Juan Soto misses the Yankees so much that he’s trying to help the Yankees win by not running out what should have been a hit pic.twitter.com/57l8FqmwpS
— Evil Empire (@octoberstanton) May 19, 2025

A clip of Soto jogging out of the box after hitting a sharp ground ball to Yankees second baseman D.J. LeMahieu in Sunday's rubber game made waves, with some users saying Soto should've hustled.

Soto, of course, disagreed, saying that "No, I think I've been hustling pretty hard. If you see it today, you could tell."

Ultimately, Soto's performance may be scrutinized more than any other player due to his unprecedented contract, and he may face additional questions from fans and reporters if this becomes a perceived issue.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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