New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto recently addressed comments made by manager Carlos Mendoza regarding his effort on the basepaths during the team's 3-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. The manager's critique followed Soto's performance in which he hit a ball off the iconic Green Monster at Fenway Park but only reached first base after failing to hustle out of the batter's box.

"I think I've been hustling pretty hard. If you see it today, you could tell," Soto remarked to reporters following the game. Mendoza indicated that they would need to have a conversation about Soto's effort after the single, adding, "He thought he had it. In this ballpark with that wall right there, you gotta get out of the box. We'll discuss that." Historically, a well-hit ball against the Green Monster typically results in at least a double, but Soto's failure to secure extra bases drew criticism as he appeared to admire the hit, mistakenly believing it was destined to clear the fence.

In the loss to the Red Sox, Soto recorded one hit in four at-bats, which brought his batting average to .246 for the season. The scrutiny surrounding Soto's performance comes on the heels of a similar backlash following the Mets' 8-2 loss to the New York Yankees the previous day. In that game, Soto faced questions about his base running again after grounding out to start the eighth inning. On that play, Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu executed a sliding backhand grab and made a throw from his knees to get Soto out, igniting discussions on whether Soto could have beaten the throw had he displayed more urgency. This season marks Soto's first with the Mets, and he is currently experiencing one of the most challenging campaigns of his career, with his .246 batting average tied for the second-lowest and a .376 on-base percentage that represents his lowest to date.