Juan Soto was swinging for the fences, but not at a fastball down the middle.
The Yankee slugger had to step out of the batter’s box because of a bug and started swinging his arms around just as Rays pitcher Shane Baz was winding up to throw a pitch in the second inning.
Soto didn’t appear to get his hands up on time to call time and the ball missed the strike zone to start the at-bat.
The outfielder was still having to swat away the bug after he was starting to make his way back to the batter’s box, before he returned and eventually grounded into a double play — with the bases loaded — to end the inning.
Soto finished the day with three hits and an RBI in what became a 6-4 loss in the Bronx and have dropped two of their last three games since the All-Star break ended.
The Yankees will have one more game against the Rays before they shift their focus to the Subway Series.
Soto and Aaron Judge have been some of the offensive bright spots for a Yankees team that has been struggling this season.
Juan Soto steps out of the batter’s box to swat at a bug during his first at bat against the Rays on Sunday.
“This offense was incredible for the first 60-70 games. It’s hard to be incredible for 162. … I think we’re losing sight of how incredible those two guys [Soto and Judge] have been. They can’t do everything each and every single time,” Marcus Stroman told reporters following the game.
