It’s been a challenging season for Gleyber Torres so far.
Last Friday night, the New York Yankees infielder had an eventful time, but mostly from the bench.
Manager Aaron Boone decided to bench Torres during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays due to what he perceived as a lack of hustle.
In the second inning, Torres took his time leaving the batter’s box after hitting a powerful 111-mph line drive to left field, seemingly admiring his shot.
The ball hit the wall, turning what should have been a double into a single, as Torres jogged to first base.
Later, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a double to left. If Torres had been on second, he would have easily scored. Instead, he was thrown out at home plate, contributing to the Yankees’ 8-5 loss.
When Boone replaced Torres with Oswaldo Cabrera, their exchange in the dugout caught the cameras’ attention:
Post-game, Torres addressed the situation with reporters.
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“He didn’t like the way I didn’t run to second base,” Torres said about Boone. “I think he made the right call, and as a professional, I need to accept the consequences. I should have run to second before thinking about what happened. For a moment, I thought it was a home run, but it turned out to be a single. I need to improve.”
“I apologize for my actions tonight, especially to the fans and my teammates. I made a mistake, but I’ll learn from it,” Torres added.
Boone later explained, “I felt it was necessary in that moment. I won’t dwell on it too much. It needed to be done, and now we move forward. Gleyber and I have talked, and hopefully, this serves as a learning opportunity for everyone.”
It’s not often that Torres gets to admire his own home runs—he’s hit 10 this season, with just two since June 28. Currently, his batting average stands at .233, which is below his career average of .263. Additionally, his on-base percentage of .308 and slugging percentage of .359 fall short of his career averages of .331 and .442, respectively.
Torres’ struggles helped prompt the Yankees to acquire infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. just before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
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However, Torres was back in action on Saturday against the Blue Jays in The Bronx.