Gleyber Torres gets a day off
Gleyber Torres of the Yankees looks on during the ninth inning against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
A day of rest isn’t just for the older crowd.
Gleyber Torres, 21, had played every day since his call-up to the big leagues April 22 and had performed well at the plate and in the field.
Still, manager Aaron Boone felt the taxing nature of the Yankees’ schedule in recent weeks — games against some of the top clubs in the American League — necessitated a break for the second baseman.
“Sometimes we always think in terms of getting our veteran players or whatever [a day], but it’s obviously been a tough stretch and he’s played so well and I just felt like it was a good day to give him a day with the off day [Monday] behind it,” Boone said Sunday. “I just felt like it was a good time to give him a blow. He’s been going pretty hard.”
Torres entered Sunday with a .319/.360/.493 slash line in 20 games and had gone 9-for-28 with all three of his homers in the first eight games of this homestand. Ronald Torreyes filled in at second Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a double.
Ouch
Dellin Betances quickly retired the first two batters of the eighth inning Sunday before falling behind 3-and-1 to Khris Davis. Seeing Betances in some discomfort with his right hand, Boone and trainer Steve Donohue made a visit to the mound and tended to a cut on his ring finger.
“I cut myself with my thumbnail,” Betances said. “It happened after the second out. It just kept bleeding and bleeding. Have to cut my thumbnail shorter next time.”
Betances stayed in and struck out Matt Olson with a curveball to end the inning.
Drury decision soon?
The final day of Brandon Drury’s 20-day rehab assignment is Monday, meaning the Yankees will have a decision to make. They can activate him — and make a corresponding roster move — or if Drury is still experiencing the blurriness and/or migraines that caused him to go on the disabled list, he could be shut down for five days, with his 20-day rehab clock restarting after that.
Drury also has options, meaning he could be activated and sent to the minors.
If Drury is activated and brought to the majors, it could come at the expense of rookie Miguel Andujar, whom the Yankees might want to continue to play every day in Triple-A.
Nice gesture
Before the game, the Yankees made a $10,000 donation to the ALS Therapy Development Institute in memory of Gretchen Piscotty, the mother of A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who passed away May 5 of ALS. Boone made the presentation to A’s manager Bob Melvin.
