Gleyber Torres red-hot at plate, gives rest day a cool reception
Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres looks for his pitch during the fifth inning against the Astros at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Gleyber Torres put up a fight, but it ultimately was a losing one.
The infielder, who homered for the third straight game Friday night, was not in the starting lineup Saturday night.
“A little upset with me,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said with a smile before the game.
Torres hit his 18th homer — which ranks him third on the team — Friday after starting the three-in-a-row streak with his first career grand slam in Wednesday’s victory over the Rays.
“He just wants to play,” Boone said. “The last few days, was looking to give him a day and kept putting it off, putting it off, and I told him before the game last night that I was thinking about [Saturday], and then after the game I buzzed him and told him he was down and he fought me a little bit, waited around for me later and still fought me, which I have no issue with. I want our guys wanting in there.”
Torres, 22, has been solid to terrific all season, entering Saturday hitting .287 with an .891 OPS. He played in 70 of the Yankees’ first 75 games, trailing only Luke Voit, who made it 73 of 76 when he started Saturday night's game.
“Obviously, he’s playing so well, but we’re also in a stretch of 14 in a row,” Boone said. “I was able to get DJ [LeMahieu] a day yesterday and Luke, and I think it is important to keep the long game in mind as well, especially a guy in Gleyber who we have leaned on as heavily as we have. He’s dealt with some minor things so far this year, so picking a spot here and there I think’s important.”
On Friday night, Torres and Gary Sanchez became the first pair of Yankees teammates to homer in three straight games together — and both did not start Saturday. Boone said he determined earlier in the week that the catcher, who hit his 23rd homer Friday, would get either Saturday or Sunday off.
“He’s played in five in a row and just kind of splitting up between now and into the travel to London [after Wednesday afternoon’s game] and the next off day,” Boone said. “He played the day game [last Wednesday] after the night game [Tuesday] last time through. Just felt like today was the night.”
After Sunday’s series finale against the Astros, the Yankees will play three straight against the Blue Jays at the Stadium. After the overnight flight to London, which should get the Yankees into London at about 7 a.m. local time Thursday, they’re off that day. They'll have a workout Friday at London Stadium before playing the Red Sox on Saturday and Sunday.
