Juan Soto used the weather as an excuse to deny that his jog was a response to the Rays' Jose Siri taunt

New York Yankees star Juan Soto was in fine form on Monday as he helped his side to a comfortable 9-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.

On top of the win and the great performance, a gesture made by Soto that seemed to be a dig at a rival player, did not go unnoticed.

His first home run helped his side extend their lead to 6-1 but it was his slow trot around the bases that caught more attention than the home run itself.

It took Soto 37 seconds to make his way around the field, the slowest of any home run so far in the competition this year, and it appeared to be a dig at Jose Siri.

Siri had hit a solo home run in the fifth inning and took a long time to make his way around the bases, much to the disgruntlement of the New York Yankees bench.

Many believe therefore that Juan Soto's slow trot of his own was a clear dig at the Tampa Bay Rays player although, when asked about it after the game, he coyly claimed it was a self-preservation tactic.

Did the weather really cause Soto's slow walk?

Asked after the game about the incident, Soto said that the slowness of his walk was to guard against injury, especially given the warm conditions on Monday.

"I don't know what [Jose Siri] was doing, actually. I just don't know," he told reporters.

"For me, I just... you know, hot weather. Tough day. [I] tried to save the hammies [hamstrings] and make sure I go nice and easy," he concluded.

Despite his innocent explanation, most fans are convinced that Soto was aiming a dig at Siri and few blame him for it.