Yankees Announcers Rip Gleyber Torres for Lack of Hustle During Loss to Mets

Tim Capurso | Jun 26, 2024

Apr 1, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees broadcast booth was not pleased with second baseman Gleyber Torres's lack of hustle during the club's 9-7 loss to the New York Mets in the first game of the Subway Series on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

During the top of the eighth inning with two outs and the Yankees trailing by two runs, Torres hit a soft dribbler to Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, a ground ball that the Yankees second baseman seemingly had a good chance of beating out for an infield hit.

Only, Torres dogged it out of the batter's box, lightly jogging down the first base line until he was thrown out by Lindor. As a replay showed Torres's lack of urgency, Yankees play-by-play commentator Michael Kay ripped into the veteran infielder for his lack of hustle.

The booth was not happy with Gleyber's lack of hustle on the last out of the 8th inning

"He's just wearing it right now emotionally, and that's generally a sign when, you know what, maybe you need a little break" - David Cone pic.twitter.com/AWCzlyEL4I

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 26, 2024

"I mean, you can't do that!" Kay exclaimed.

"This game will beat you down to the point where—you're right, Michael—you can't, you shouldn't, but the game just wears you out," former Yankees outfielder and color analyst Paul O'Neill replied.

"He's just wearing it right now emotionally, and that's generally a sign when, you know what, maybe you need a little break," fellow color analyst and former Yankees and Mets pitcher David Cone added.

It was a rough night for Torres, who went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts while also making an error earlier in the game during the bottom of the sixth inning, a mistake that cost New York a run.

After the game, Torres explained that he didn't run hard down the first-base line because of a groin injury he's been dealing with, something Yankees manager Aaron Boone echoed in his own press conference with the media.

Gleyber Torres says his groin felt "very tight" during his at-bat in the 8th inning and that's why he didn't run hard out of the box to first base pic.twitter.com/Ng6uGuJQnf

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 26, 2024

"My groin is very tight right now," Torres said. "In that at-bat, I felt it a little more..."

When asked about Torres's error, Boone praised the Yankees infielder's defense in recent weeks but also acknowledged that the play has to be made.

“That’s a play he’s got to make,” Boone said. “I mean, simple as that. He didn’t make it tonight. It happens. But we’ve got to get him going.”

Boone and Torres had a talk after the Yankees' loss to the Mets, according to the New York Post.

Torres, 27, has posted a career-worst .215/.294/.333 slash line with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 80 games played. He has committed 12 errors, tied for the second-most in MLB.

Torres, who will be a free agent after the World Series, told reporters in February that he wanted to be a "Yankee for life."

That's likely far from Torres's—and the Yankees' minds at the moment. New York will play one more game against the Mets before traveling to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays.