Yankees explain why Gleyber Torres is sitting in Subway Series finale

Gleyber Torres has had a rough 2024 so far.

A season after being one of the best offensive second basemen in all of MLB, this year has been very different. Entering Wednesday, Torres is slashing .215/.294/.627 with seven home runs and 29 RBI, and is leading all second basemen in errors (12) that was amplified with a lackadaisical play on a grounder that led to a run in the Yankees’ 9-7 loss to the Mets.

With the 27-year-old struggling at the plate and on the field, manager Aaron Boone decided it was time for a “reset” and benched Torres for the Subway Series finale, and perhaps for even longer.

“Just felt like he needs it. Might give him a couple of days here just to reset,” Boone said. “I think he’s too important and a guy that I’m confident will get going. It’s been a grind, it’s been a struggle. He’s feeling that a little bit so I think it’s definitely something that will serve him well, mentally, physically, to take an exhale and work to get him rolling.

“When he’s going, he’s a really important piece to the lineup.”

After Tuesday’s game, Boone said that Torres was still dealing with a groin issue that resulted in an early exit last week against the Orioles and had him sit a day after. When asked about Torres’ health, Boone said he is dealing with a groin and hip issue but it’s nothing “too significant.”

But how about Torres failing to run out a groundball in the eighth inning on Tuesday? Boone said, “That’s one of the things that got my attention,” but instead of being the main reason for the benching, it showed the Yankees skipper how much of a breather his infielder needs.

Torres is playing in the final year of his contract, and his performance has hurt his prospects entering free agency. Boone said he hasn't spoken to Torres about that topic specifically but he believes there's a number of factors weighing on him.

"Sometimes your brain needs to get out of the way a little bit," Boone said. "As players, it can get us in trouble, especially in a game of failure."