New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Boone takes big step with struggling Yankees infielder

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jun 26, 2024 7:09 PM ET

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is taking a big step regarding the status of one of his struggling players.

Boone confirmed Wednesday that second baseman Gleyber Torres will be benched, likely for a few days, as he continues to struggle at the plate.

Torres’ issues were compounded on Tuesday when he was criticized for failing to run hard on the final out of the eighth inning against the New York Mets.

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

After the game, Torres blamed the lack of hustle on groin tightness, but Boone downplayed that explanation a day later. The manager also suggested that the play factored into the decision to bench Torres.

Aaron Boone said he's giving Gleyber Torres "a couple days to reset…mentally, physically."

Said the groin pain is minor.

— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) June 26, 2024

Gleyber Torres not running out the grounder in the 8th was a factor in his benching, Aaron Boone said. “That certainly got my attention.”

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) June 26, 2024

Many Yankee fans would likely argue that this move was overdue. Torres is hitting just .215 with seven home runs on the season and is carrying a .294 OBP. It is easily his worst season, and it comes as a big surprise after he hit .273 with 25 home runs in 2023.

Torres was reportedly a major trade target for at least one team last season. That value is gone now, especially since he will become a free agent at the end of the season.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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