Gleyber Torres’ 12th error: Boone confronts him in private but defends publicly

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In the aftermath of the New York Yankees’ 9-7 defeat to the New York Mets in the Subway Series opener, second baseman Gleyber Torres found himself under the spotlight again for the wrong reason. He briefly addressed the media post-game and took accountability for his poor showing.

In Tuesday’s game, Gleyber Torres went 0-for-4, including a pivotal bases-loaded strikeout in the first inning that saw the Yankees fail to capitalize on a scoring opportunity. He admitted his disappointment in not putting the ball in play during this critical at-bat, expressing frustration with his performance.

A pivotal moment occurred with the Yankees trailing 6-1, when Gleyber Torres mishandled a sharply hit grounder from Brandon Nimmo, marking his 12th error of the season. Manager Aaron Boone emphasized the significance of the play, noting it was one that needed to be executed.

Following the media session, Gleyber Torres was reportedly summoned by manager Boone for a private discussion, underscoring the importance of the player’s ongoing struggles.

However, during his media interaction, the Yankees skipper avoided saying anything about it or benching the second baseman. He even provided excuses to defend Gleyber Torres’ lack of hustle citing groin injury..

“We need him to get going, especially through this stretch,” Boone said. “One of his calling cards throughout his career is how well he handles left-handed pitching. As we go through this stretch where we’re facing a lot of lefties, we got a couple of guys down — G just goes down — we need him to be a presence in the middle of our lineup. We have to get that out of him.”

The 12th error by Gleyber Torres

He was struck out twice in crucial situations. In the first inning, with bases loaded and no outs, Gleyber Torres chased a high fastball in vein. He then fanned on a changeup over the plate in the third.

Defensively, Gleyber Torres committed his league-leading 12th error at second base in the sixth inning. With the infield playing shallow, a groundball passes underneath his glove, allowing a run to score. The Mets capitalized on this miscue, adding two more runs to extend their lead to 9-1.

Despite praising Gleyber Torres’ recent defensive improvements, Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that the second baseman should have fielded the grounder given the infield’s positioning.
His performance exemplified the Yankees’ struggles in the game, as they failed to capitalize on early opportunities and made costly mistakes in the field, leading to a significant deficit against their crosstown rivals.

“That’s a play he should make,” manager Boone agreed. “In and around the last two weeks after the (dropped) popup, there’s been a lot of really good defense that no one ever asks about. It’s a play he has to make. It’s as simple as that. He didn’t make it tonight. It happens. We have to get him going.”

Following Aaron Judge’s grand slam that narrowed the deficit to two runs in the eighth inning, Gleyber Torres came to bat with two outs. He softly tapped the ball toward shortstop Francisco Lindor. Initially charging, Lindor slowed upon noticing Torres’ lackadaisical pace. Lindor easily threw out him to end the inning.

The play sparked controversy as Gleyber Torres could have potentially beaten the throw or forced an error had he run at full speed. Statcast data revealed his top speed on the play was just 21 feet per second, significantly below his 26.4 ft/sec average. For context, the slowest average sprint speed among 470 major leaguers this season belongs to former Yankee Mike Ford at 22.8 feet per second, still faster than Torres’ effort on this play.

Gleyber Torres’ decision not to run out the grounder, especially in a close game following a momentum shift, faced widespread criticism from fans and analysts alike. “I mean, you can’t do that,” Michael Kay shouted from the YES booth.

However, in public, Boone tried to save him. “He and I have talked about that,” the Yankees manager said. “He has been dealing with a little bit of a groin (injury) that he came out for last week. There are certain spots where he’s careful with it. He’s obviously really important to what we’re doing, especially right now needing some meat in the middle of the lineup. We have to get him going.”

Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres addressed his controversial lack of hustle in Tuesday’s game against the Mets, citing lingering health concerns. He revealed he experienced significant groin tightness during the at-bat in question. This issue stems from a recent injury that forced Gleyber Torres to exit last Thursday’s game against the Orioles and miss Friday’s series opener with the Braves. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed discussions with Gleyber Torres about the play, acknowledging that the second baseman has been cautious since his initial injury.

“He’s obviously really important to what we’re doing, and especially right now, needing some meat in the middle of that lineup, we’ve got to get him going,” Boone said.

Gleyber Torres, 27, has been struggling at the plate this season, posting a .215 batting average and a .627 OPS. These numbers represent a significant drop-off from his career norms.

Yankees are fast losing faith in Torres

Boone’s comments suggest the team is aware of Gleyber Torres’ physical limitations and may be monitoring his condition closely. The situation highlights the delicate balance between playing through discomfort and risking further injury, especially for a player already underperforming offensively.

Gleyber Torres’ statistics for the 2024 season reveal a troubling trend. His batting average has slumped to .215, significantly below his career average of .267 over his first six major league seasons. His power has also waned, with only seven home runs in 80 games, a stark contrast to his 38-homer performance in 2019.

The second baseman’s on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) has dipped to .627 this season, compared to his career OPS of .789 before 2024. This decline is particularly concerning as Torres nears free agency.

Reflecting on his performance, Gleyber Torres described his first half of the season as “bad” and expressed a determination to improve through hard work.

The second baseman’s season-long struggles are apparent, with his batting average and power metrics falling well below his career averages, adding pressure as he approaches free agency.

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