NEW YORK — Juan Soto‘s return to Yankee Stadium in a Mets uniform Friday night went just about as he expected: with loud, relentless boos and chants from scorned Yankees fans still offended by his decision to choose the crosstown rival over their team during the offseason.

“I was ready for it,” Soto said after the Yankees beat the Mets 6-2 to open the Subway Series. “They’re really passionate fans and they’re a little hurt, and they’re going to do the best for their team, and they just feel that way.”

All game, whether he was in the action or not, Soto heard a chorus of boos and chants directed at him. Most chants were vulgar. All the boos were loud. After partnering with Aaron Judge to create one of the most productive duos in baseball history and lead the Yankees to their first World Series appearance in 15 years in his only season in the Bronx, he was the center of attention from beginning to end Friday.

And Soto — whose 15-year, $765 million contract is the richest in North American sports history — was prepared for it.

Soto, 26, stepped to the plate for his first at-bat in the first inning with a plan for the vitriol. Instead of ignoring the inevitable rancor, he was, after some prodding from teammates, going to playfully acknowledge it.

So while thousands of people stood to jeer him, he smiled, took off his helmet, tipped it to the crowd, touched it against his chest and mouthed, “Thank you.”

“We were just joking in the dugout that I should do it, and I just did it,” Soto said. “Guys loved it.”

Minutes later, the Bleacher Creatures, the celebrated group of staunch fans in the right-field bleachers who serenaded Soto with “Re-Sign Soto!” chants last season, turned their backs to him when he took his spot in right field in the bottom of the first inning. Soto said he didn’t notice them.

“I was just listening to the boos,” Soto said. “I tried to not have any eye contact. I just listened to the boos.”

Between the lines, Soto’s return was rather quiet. He walked in his first three plate appearances, scoring the Mets’ first run on Brandon Nimmo‘s single in the fourth inning. Soto grounded out in the seventh inning and flied out to center field with two runners on base to end the game. He emerged with a .252 batting average and .845 OPS through his first 44 games as a Met.

“Every time he’s at the plate, we feel good,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Didn’t come through today, but that’s the guy you want there in that spot. He’ll be fine.”

Defensively, Soto failed to throw out a runner at home on Anthony Volpe‘s 243-foot sacrifice fly in the third inning. In the eighth, he caught a fly ball for the third out and tossed the ball over his head into the seats behind him. A fan threw it back onto the field, igniting passionate cheers.

There were more cheers when Soto made the final out, ending an eventful night the 47,700 people in attendance anticipated.

“It’s just another game,” Soto said. “It’s real [unfortunate] that we couldn’t get the win. I don’t focus at all on fans. We got to focus on the game and be a professional, try to win a game. Yeah, it sucks that we lost the game, but we have two more to win the series.”

The Chicago White Sox placed left-hander Tyler Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a sprained MCL in his left knee.

The White Sox recalled left-hander Jared Shuster from Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move.

Gilbert exited the team’s 13-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday in the sixth inning after facing just two batters.

He is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 games (three starts) this season.

Gilbert, 31, is 3-8 with a 4.30 ERA in 47 career appearances (16 starts) with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and White Sox.

Shuster, 26, has a 7.59 ERA without a decision in eight relief appearances this season with the White Sox.

NEW YORK — Yankees reliever Jake Cousins felt pectoral discomfort after throwing a pair of batting practice sessions, another setback in his bid to return to the mound for the first time since last fall.

Cousins won’t throw again for four or five days, manager Aaron Boone said Saturday.

Boone said ahead of spring training’s opening workout that Cousins had a strained right forearm and was uncertain for the March 27 opener.

A 30-year-old right-hander, Cousins threw batting practice to injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton on May 6. Boone said Cousins pitched an additional session before the pec issue caused a shutdown.

“We don’t think it’s anything serious, but enough to hold him back a few days,” Boone said.

Boone said Cousins had tests and that they didn’t show any shoulder issues.

Cousins had a 2.37 ERA in 37 relief appearances last year, striking out 53 and walking 20 in 38 innings.

Boone said a date has not been set for Stanton to start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment. The five-time All-Star has been sidelined since spring training with pain in the tendons of both elbows.