The “F” went up as Brett Gardner was batting in the fourth inning in what to date has been an “A,” perhaps an “A-plus,” first half for the Yankees.
The “F” symbolized that the game had gone final in the nation’s capital on July 4, that BOS 3, WSH 0 was done — the Red Sox winning again, presenting another match-us moment to the Yankees. The Yanks obliged, playing another strong overall game to defeat the Braves 6-2.
Scoreboard watching in early July has become mandatory. The Red Sox lead the Yanks by one game in the AL East. The two have owned or shared the majors’ two best records in 62 of the last 63 days, have flip-flopped the lead 12 times since May 7 and have not been further apart than 2½ games since May 1.
Thus any change positive or negative to the ecosystems of these teams promises repercussion as they heartily and desperately fight to avoid being a 100-plus runner-up and host of the one-game AL wild card sudden death.
So what happened earlier in the fourth inning ultimately had more meaning than that “F” going up. Gleyber Torres again felt an uncomfortable tightness in his right hip in striking out for the second time against Braves starter Julio Teheran.
Torres had not started Tuesday because of what was termed stiffness in the hip, but Aaron Boone reported such improvement that Torres was back in the lineup for Wednesday’s holiday matinee. Now he was out, the initial testing at Yankee Stadium again having Boone encouraged that “I don’t think it is a big deal.”
But the MRI result had not returned yet. The team had termed that test “precautionary.” It turned out to be revelatory. Torres was placed on the DL with what Brian Cashman termed “a low-grade strain of the (right) hip flexor. It is the lowest level.” Because of that, the Yankees GM called his concern level “minimal” and said he thought the second baseman could be back “in close to the DL time (10 days).”
Torres could return the final day of the first half, but logic would dictate to just give him the All-Star break as well and have him return for the Subway Series to open the second half. That is if all goes well and Boone and the team have not been fooled twice by the severity.
Personally, Torres now is unlikely to make the All-Star team, and his Rookie of the Year front-runner status takes at least a bit of a hit, especially since the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is back to DH, at minimum. For the team, the Yanks lose a player who had slowly worked his way from ninth in the order to prime time with consistent and clutch hitting.
Torres, even after two at-bats and whiffs Wednesday, is hitting .294 with a .905 OPS and 15 homers — it was .339 with a 1.159 OPS and seven homers in 56 at-bats with runners in scoring position before Wednesday. His removal makes the Yankees’ lineup less lethal and because of the closeness of the AL East race, even losing Torres for 10 games has impact.
Boston will not sob. The Red Sox have essentially played this whole season without second baseman Dustin Pedroia by mixing and matching Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez.
Good teams persevere. The Red Sox have, so have the Yanks. Kyle Higashioka, for example, has taken advantage of the opportunity created when Gary Sanchez went on the DL and Austin Romine felt hamstring tightness to reclaim status lost over the last year. He hit his third homer in four July games as the Yanks took the series from the Braves.
Neil Walker, who has yet to portray the consistent hitter of the past eight seasons, will probably get the bulk of the second base at-bats while Torres is absent. He needs to prove in this period that he is not designated-for-assignment fodder. Brandon Drury might get some at-bats at second too, though the Yankees had been hoping to keep him mainly as a third baseman/first baseman. Either way, more at-bats are coming for Drury to prove he should stay.
And Tyler Wade almost certainly will be recalled because, with Torres out and Ronald Torreyes unavailable, the Yanks do not have a backup shortstop for Didi Gregorius. Wade, like Higashioka previously, has bombed major league cameos. But he has speed and defensive skills and perhaps a lefty bat that could help the Yanks down the stretch, or perhaps he can upgrade his value for a trade with the new opportunity.
No roster spots can be wasted, even in this A-plus season. Not when the difference between the Yanks and Red Sox is this razor-close and the penalty for second place is three hours of sudden death on Oct. 3.
