Leading off the sixth inning, Soto hit a ball about two-thirds of the way up the Monster. Believing it to be a homer, Soto admired the ball while stepping backward into foul ground, before slowly jogging to first base. By the time it became clear that a brisk wind would knock the ball back into play, it was too late for Soto to try for second.
“I hit it pretty hard,” Soto said. “It’s a really short Green Monster. I tried to get to second, but it wasn’t enough.”
Soto did subsequently steal second base to move into scoring position, but the rally fizzled when Brandon Nimmo hit into a double play.
“We’ll talk to him about it,” Mendoza said. “Tonight, obviously, if someone gets a hold of one and knows when he gets it, it’s Juan. He thought he had it. With the wind and all that, in this ballpark -- anywhere, in any one, but particularly in this one with that wall right there -- you’ve got to get out of the box. Yeah, we’ll discuss that.”
Asked later if he needs to be more aware of getting up the line quickly, Soto replied: “I think I’ve been hustling pretty hard. If you saw it today, you could tell.”
The play marked the second time in as many days that Soto’s hustle came into question. In his final at-bat of Sunday’s 8-2 loss to the Yankees, Soto jogged slowly out of the box on a ground ball up the middle, giving DJ LeMahieu plenty of time to slide, glove the ball and throw Soto out from his knees -- by multiple steps.
Soto finished 0-for-4 that night and 1-for-4 on Monday. Overall in the first season of a 15-year, $765 million contract, Soto is slashing .246/.376/.439 with eight home runs and six stolen bases. His on-base percentage, slugging and OPS figures are all the lowest of his career.