NEW YORK (AP) — Following a terrible performance in the Subway Series opener, slumping second baseman Gleyber Torres was benched Wednesday night by New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Oswaldo Cabrera made his third start of the season at second as the Yankees lost 12-2 to the New York Mets at Citi Field. Boone said he was planning to give Torres a couple of days off “just to kind of reset.”
The struggling Yankees begin a four-game series Thursday night at division-rival Toronto, which is last in the AL East.
“Just felt like he needs it,” Boone said. “I just think he’s too important, and a guy that I’m confident will get going. But it’s been a grind. It’s been a struggle. I think he’s feeling that a little bit. I think it’s hopefully something that will serve him well — mentally, physically — to just take an exhale and then work to get him going. Because when he’s going like we’ve all seen him go, he’s just a really important piece to the lineup.”
Torres is batting .215 with seven homers, 29 RBIs and a .628 OPS — well below his career marks of .262 and .773. The two-time All-Star has made 12 errors, three more than any other big league second baseman.
“He’s made too many errors. Those mistakes certainly are a part of the story of his season so far,” Boone said.
But they’re not injury-related, according to Boone.
“He’s good. I mean, he came out with a little bit of a groin issue, hip, but it’s nothing that’s significant,” the manager said.
Torres had an especially rough night Tuesday as the Yankees, who still lead the AL East after dropping eight of 10, lost 9-7 to their crosstown rivals.
Batting cleanup, he struck out swinging in the first inning with the bases loaded and nobody out — the first of three straight strikeouts that allowed Mets starter David Peterson to escape the inning unscathed.
With the infield playing in, Torres let a grounder get under his glove for an error that helped the Mets score three runs in the sixth. And after Aaron Judge’s grand slam pulled the Yankees within two runs in the eighth, Torres didn’t run hard on his inning-ending groundout.
“That’s one of the things that got my attention, certainly,” Boone said.
Torres finished 0 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Boone said when he went to bed Tuesday night, he initially had Torres in Wednesday’s starting lineup. But the manager changed his mind after he woke up, and called Torres to tell him he’d be on the bench.
Torres respected the decision, Boone said.
“Hopefully something that kind of serves him well,” Boone said.
The 27-year-old Torres had started 78 of New York’s first 81 games this season at second base. He can become a free agent after the World Series.
“We haven’t specifically talked about that weighing on him,” Boone said. “He’s been such a consistent offensive performer throughout his career that him struggling to get on that good roll, I think I sense weighing on him — especially the last couple days. So that’s kind of just my thought process on why now.”
From his vantage point in the dugout, Boone believes he sees a mechanical flaw in Torres’ swing lately.
“I’ll leave that to him and the hitting guys,” Boone said. “I mean, the thing is, he’s been working really hard. But sometimes, a little mental blow can go a long way.
“Sometimes I think just sitting there and watching can be a benefit, too. Being out of the arena, out of the action, to have a view from afar of the game, can serve an everyday player.”
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