Yankees’ Aaron Boone Downplays Decision to Bench Gleyber Torres

Torres is hitting .167 (6-for-36) to start the 2022 season.

We’re just 13 games into the regular season, but one thing remains the same: Gleyber Torres has continued to struggle for the New York Yankees.

In the midst of an 0-for-17 slump, Torres found himself on the bench for the second time in three games in the Yankees’ 3-0 series finale loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Although manager Aaron Boone told reporters that he “wouldn’t read too much” into the decision to sit Torres twice in the last three contests, the skipper acknowledged that the 25-year-old has been a little off lately.

But it’s not just lately. Torres has had a rough go of things across the past two seasons. The polar opposite of his first two years in the big-leagues, where he cracked 62 home runs, drove in 167 RBI, averaged an .845 OPS and was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019.

Despite a strong spring where he looked like his old self again at the plate, Torres is off to a frigid 6-for-36 start with just one home run and two RBI in 2022. This has resulted in an abysmal triple slash of .167/.225/.306 and only three extra-base hits across 11 games.

“I think he’s in a good place,” Boone said. “All spring, I liked where his swing was at and what I feel like he was getting back to: driving the ball more.”

While the additions of Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson have essentially blocked Torres from starting in the Yankees’ infield, it was surprising to see him sit on a day where Donaldson was also getting a rest from the lineup. This move speaks volumes regarding Torres’ struggles, but Boone isn’t ready to give up on his guy yet.

“He’ll get there,” Boone said. “He made the necessary adjustments this spring. The biggest thing last year was that he didn’t hit for power like in the past but still did good things and finished strong for us. I absolutely know that’s in there for him. We’ve just got to pull it out.”

It’s not just Torres. The Yankees’ lineup has collectively struggled as a unit with a .220 average, .643 OPS and 116 strikeouts (5th most in baseball) as a group. This of course, is reminding everyone of last season’s deficiencies. Torres was at the center of the team’s disappointing offense in 2021, and although it’s a new year, he has been unable to figure things out thus far.

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