Juan soto knows there’s ‘still a long way to go’ to fixing slow mets start after snapping homer drought

Juan Soto snapped his 17-game homerless streak with a fourth-inning blast in the Mets’ 8-2 win over the Rockies on Saturday. He hadn’t gone deep since May 9 and his slow start to his Mets

tenure has been in the spotlight of what’s otherwise been a good start to the season in Queens. “I knew it was gone,’’ said Soto, who’s reached base in four of his last seven plate

appearances. A day earlier, he acknowledged he’d been struggling. Asked Saturday if it was a relief to break his homerless stretch, Soto said, “There’s still a long way to go. It feels good,

but we’ve got to keep working.” EXPLORE MORE Brandon Nimmo also homered immediately before Soto and said Soto’s ninth homer was “a sign of good things to come.” “When he goes the other way,

that’s when he’s at his best,’’ said Nimmo, whose performance at the plate has improved since his return from a stiff neck. Nimmo left the game in the eighth inning with a cramp in his

right calf. “I’m not worried about it,’’ Nimmo said. He’s 8-for-19 in five games since returning after breaking out of an 0-for-17 funk. ------------------------- After president of baseball

operations David Stearns said Friday the team is “paying attention” to Ronny Mauricio’s play at Triple-A Syracuse after coming back from a torn ACL, Carlos Mendoza added to the praise

Saturday. “We’re watching,’’ the manager said. “The reports are really good. It’s not so much the results, it’s just how he’s moving, running on the bases, moving in the infield, his first

step going after balls.” Still, it’s the results that have garnered plenty of attention. Entering Saturday, in seven games since being promoted to Syracuse from Double-A Binghamton, Mauricio

was 14-for-25 with four extra-base hits, including three homers. “He’s impacting the ball from both sides of the plate,’’ Mendoza said. “He’s a good player. We’ll continue to watch him, but

right now, we want him to continue to get everyday reps.” But if his current production continues, Mendoza knows they won’t be able to keep Mauricio in the minors. -------------------------

------------------------- “I’m pretty sure we’ll get to a point where he’s gonna force us [to bring him up],’’ Mendoza said of Mauricio’s future, “But in the meantime, let him play.”

------------------------- Mark Vientos was out of the lineup again versus a right-hander, with Brett Baty at third base and another left-handed hitter, Jared Young, at DH. Prior to the game,

Mendoza said Vientos was “going through it” and while he’ll continue to get significant playing time, the young third baseman would also have to adjust to occasionally sitting.

------------------------- Sean Manaea is scheduled to throw another live batting practice Monday, this one two innings, according to Mendoza. DELIVERING INSIGHTS ON ALL THINGS AMAZIN’S Sign

up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ THANK YOU The lefty threw his first live batting practice Thursday and reported no issues as he comes back from a strained

oblique. A rehab outing is possible after Monday. Mendoza added that Frankie Montas (lat) is slated to pitch his third minor league rehab start Tuesday, the location of which is still to be

determined, depending on the weather.