ARLINGTON, Texas – Alfonso Soriano’s mind-set stays the same: He’s a leadoff hitter, even though he’s no longer at the top of the lineup for the Texas Rangers. In fact, Soriano is in the middle of the order, and producing like a slugger.

“In a perfect world, we know where Sori would like to hit,” manager Buck Showalter said. “We talked about the team needs him to hit where he’s hitting. It’s a better fit for us right now. Sori is going to be the same type of hitter wherever you put him.”

And he’s hitting, all right. He had five home runs in a three-game stretch last week and, entering last night’s game against Detroit, he had 13 RBI in his last five games.

Since moving Soriano to fifth in the order April 29, Showalter has had several talks with the All-Star second baseman about getting used to being lower in the lineup. They met again Friday before the start of the current homestand.

Soriano responded with his best series this season, going 7-for-10 with consecutive two-homer games and eight RBI in the three games against Cleveland. He even walked twice Sunday, half his total in his 22 games in the leadoff spot.

“I’m not happy batting fifth. I like batting leading off,” Soriano said. “But you know what? It’s more important for me to be in the lineup.”

Soriano has 10 homers, one behind league leader Alex Rodriguez, the former AL MVP for whom he was traded from the Yankees before last season.

Rodriguez was the last Texas player with consecutive multihomer games. That was against Toronto in August 2002, when he followed a three-homer game with two more shots the next night.

In his first nine games in the no. 5 spot, Soriano was 13-for-35 (.371) with six homers and 16 of his 23 RBI. His average was up to .301, over .300 for the first time since the opening week of the season, and 12 of his last 16 hits were for extra bases.

“We accepted the fact that when we traded Alex, we got a great player in return” shortstop Michael Young said. “He’s getting a chance to show it now.”

Soriano hit .280 with 28 homers and 91 RBI last season, when he was the All-Star Game MVP, before missing the final 16 games with a strained left hamstring. The injury bothered him throughout the offseason, so there was no running or strenuous workouts until just before he arrived in Arizona for spring training.

Needing extra time to get in shape, Soriano missed the first few spring games and then went hitless his first 17 at-bats. Playing almost every day after that, he found his stride and has missed just one game during the regular season.

On April 19, Showalter held Soriano out because of a bruised left knee. When he found out he wasn’t playing, Soriano kicked over a garbage can and then a laundry cart in the clubhouse.

Texas gave Soriano a $7.5 million contract in January to avoid salary arbitration, for which he’ll be eligible again next winter. The Rangers have said they have not tried to deal Soriano, and no inquiries from other teams were serious enough to intrigue them.