It’s been a challenging and disappointing season for Gleyber Torres. Both he and the Yankees had high expectations for his performance leading up to free agency, but his OPS+ has dropped from 116 in 2022-23 to a disappointing 86 over 104 games in 2024. Torres has faced issues with defensive errors, baserunning mistakes, and too many unproductive at-bats for a starter on a team contending for the AL East title. Despite a few multi-hit games, the struggles have continued into the second half of the season as the Yankees compete with the Orioles for the division lead.
The Yankees’ frustration seemed to reach a tipping point during their 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays. Marcus Stroman put Toronto ahead early with three runs in the first inning, but Aaron Judge quickly responded with a home run, making it a 3-2 game. The crowd was still energized when Torres came to bat an inning later and hit a ball off the left-field wall at 110.7 mph, which could have been a double.
However, Torres missed the chance by staying in the batter’s box to watch the ball, similar to Josh Donaldson. By the time he realized it wasn’t a home run, he couldn’t reach second base and remained at first.
This decision looked bad, especially when Anthony Volpe hit a double down the left-field line. Third-base coach Luis Rojas waved Torres home, but he was thrown out at the plate. While some might criticize the decision to send him, the Blue Jays executed a perfect relay to catch Torres at home. The real issue was that if Torres had already been on second with a double, he would have easily scored to tie the game.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed to be on the same page. Torres played defense in the next half-inning, with YES Network announcers Joe Girardi and Michael Kay noting that players who make the last out often stay on the field until someone brings their glove. However, in the fourth inning, Oswaldo Cabrera replaced him at second base.
YES Network raised the possibility of an injury since Torres awkwardly attempted a play on Ernie Clement’s grounder in the top of the third. However, Boone was later seen having a conversation with an animated Torres, suggesting it wasn’t injury-related.
We’ll provide more updates on this story as it develops. If Torres’ removal was indeed about accountability, it’s long overdue. As Chris Kirschner of The Athletic noted on Twitter, other Yankees players have also been guilty of this behavior. While Stroman’s poor pitching, allowing a 7-2 deficit, might have been a bigger obstacle than Torres’ lack of hustle, such plays are unacceptable for teams aiming for a championship. It’s better late than never to send a message.
Update
Boone confirmed that Torres was pulled for not hustling on the single, though he seemed eager to move on from the topic in the postgame interview. Torres is expected to return to the starting lineup tomorrow.
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