NEW YORK — After a terrible performance in the first game of the Subway Series, 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 base as the Yankees faced the New York Mets at Citi Field. Boone said he planned to give Torres a couple of nights off “just for him to recover.”
“I just felt like I needed it,” Boone said. “I just think it's too important and a guy I trust will step up. But it's been hard work. It's been a struggle. I think he's feeling it a little bit. I think I hope it's something that will serve him well. – mentally and physically – just take a breath and then work to get it going, because when he performs like we've all seen, he's a really important piece to the lineup.”
Torres began the day hitting .215 with seven home runs, 29 RBIs and a .628 OPS, well below his career marks of .262 and .773. The two-time All-Star has committed 12 errors, three more than any other second baseman in the Major Leagues.
“He's made too many mistakes. Those mistakes are certainly part of the story of his season so far,” Boone said.
But they are not injury-related, according to Boone.
“He's fine. I mean, he came out with a little problem in his groin, in his hip, but it's nothing significant,” the manager said.
Torres had an especially difficult night on Tuesday when the Yankees, still leading the American League East after losing seven of nine, lost 9-7 to their crosstown rivals.
In the batting cleanup, he struck out swinging in the first inning with the bases loaded and no outs, the first of three consecutive strikeouts that allowed Mets starter David Peterson to escape the inning unscathed.
With the infield in, Torres let a ground ball get under his glove for an error that helped the Mets score three runs in the sixth.
And after Aaron Judge's grand slam brought the Yankees within two runs in the eighth, Torres didn't run hard on his grounder to end the inning.
“That's one of the things that caught my attention, certainly,” Boone said.
Boone said that when he went to sleep Tuesday night, he initially had Torres in Wednesday's starting lineup, but the manager changed his mind after waking up and called Torres to tell him he would be on the bench.
Torres respected the decision, Boone said.
“Hopefully something that serves him well,” Boone said.
Torres, 27, can become a free agent after the World Series.
“We haven't talked specifically about it affecting him,” Boone said. “He's been such a consistent offensive performer throughout his career that I think it's affecting him that he's having a hard time recovering, especially the last few days. So, that's my thinking on why now.”
From his vantage point in the dugout, Boone thinks he sees a mechanical flaw in Torres' swing lately.
“I'll leave that to him and the hitters,” Boone said. “I mean, the thing is, he's been working really hard. But sometimes, a little mental nudge can go a long way.
“Sometimes I think just sitting back and watching can be beneficial too. Being outside the stadium, outside the action, being able to watch the game from afar can be helpful for an ordinary player.”
