Juan Soto had no problem with Mets' decision to move him back in the lineup

The Mets' superstar was reportedly open to manager Carlos Mendoza's suggestion to move him from second to third in the lineup.

May 16, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after walking for the third time in the game during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Juan Soto has had a shaky start to his tenure with the New York Mets.

The new highest-paid athlete in professional sports history is currently in the midst of a rough patch at the plate and has had his effort called into question. But when his manager approached him about moving back a spot in the lineup, Soto wanted to do whatever he could to help the team.

According to an article by The Athletic, the four-time All-Star was very receptive to Carlos Mendoza's idea about shaking things up and batting third, leading to the move in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox.

Last season with the New York Yankees, Soto typically batted second in the order in front of Aaron Judge. However, during his time with the Washington Nationals, the slugger preferred to be in the three-spot and was upset when he was moved up to bat second. As his career progressed, this is no longer a concern for the 26-year-old, especially with his newfound success batting second; he accordingly began this year in the two-hole between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

Read More: Juan Soto's early struggles with Mets reminiscent of Lindor's first season

Soto has been open about his difficulty adjusting to batting second, but noted that he does feel comfortable there now. Even still, his background batting third and fourth made it an easy decision for Soto to move back with no hesitation. Across his career, the eight-year pro holds a .983 OPS when batting third to .881 OPS batting second.

Juan Soto Shuffle #JuanSoto #Mets pic.twitter.com/h4OKoX0BdA

— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) May 24, 2025

In New York's first game with the lineup change, Starling Marte was moved up to the two-hole. On Friday, Mark Vientos was scheduled to bat in this spot, but was scratched from the lineup due to abdominal soreness. Mendoza will likely continue to experiment with the lineup, and we could see different players get a shot earlier in the lineup.

Read More: Mets' Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo day-to-day with injuries

Soto has just three hits in his last 25 at-bats and desperately needs to get his bat going if New York is going to regain first place in the NL East. After hot starts, his running-mates Lindor and Alonso have cooled off too, leading to Mendoza's desire to shake things up.

But most importantly, this report bucks against the current trend of Soto-related media, which has argued that the Mets' star is agitated with his new club. Rather, Soto appears to have a great relationship with his manager and is looking to work through his slow start with a team-first attitude.