DETROIT — Gleyber Torres, stuck in an 0-for-17 slump, found himself out of the lineup for the second time in three games when the Yankees faced the Tigers on Thursday.
Aaron Boone said he “wouldn’t read too much” into the lack of playing time, but admitted Torres was “maybe a little off the last few games.”
Torres came off the bench and reached on an infield single to shortstop in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 3-0 loss.
After an encouraging spring training, the second baseman has looked a lot like the hitter he’s been the previous two years — and almost nothing like he did during his breakout 2018 and 2019 seasonsseasons.
“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 construction of the roster dictates that a starting infielder will likely be out of the lineup every day, the plan was not to have someone miss two games out of three — especially on a day when Marwin Gonzalez also filled in for Josh Donaldson.
Gleyber Torres hits an infield single in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 3-0 loss to the Tigers. USA TODAY Sports“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.”
Torres’ exit velocity is up, but he has just three extra-base hits on the season, part of a lineup that has so far disappointed.
