Yankees' Gleyber Torres Exits Game Early With Tight Left Hamstring, Sent For MRI

NEW YORK — Just when you thought the injuries couldn't get any worse for those in pinstripes, another star appears to be hurt. 

Running out a ground ball in the third inning on Thursday afternoon, shortstop Gleyber Torres stumbled, unable to sprint through the first base bag. Although he never limped or grabbed at his leg in any way, the phenom was promptly replaced from the game the next half inning.

A few innings later, the Yankees announced Torres had been taken out with a "tight left hamstring." 

"I think a quick movement out of there just tightened up on him a little bit," Yankees' manager Aaron Boone said, explaining the injury was strictly from that one play and hadn't appeared prior. 

While the skipper said Torres believes it's just tightness and nothing serious, the shortstop was sent for an MRI. 

This comes on a day when left-hander Zack Britton was placed on the 10-day injured list, joining stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu. James Paxton also exited his start—which began with 4 1/3 no-hit innings—with discomfort in his left forearm and elbow. He was also sent for imaging after Thursday's game.

"When anyone goes down with something, I feel for the individual," Boone said. "We'll find a way to make due and it allows for another opportunity for someone to step up in their absence and that's what we need to do right now. Hoping the best it's not something serious, which I don't believe it is with Gleyber."

It's hard not to presume Torres will miss time. As New York has proven this summer—placing Judge on the IL even when the slugger told his manager he's healthy enough to play—they don't take chances on minor bumps and bruises (and tightness) can possibly become significant injuries.

Stanton was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain, sustained sliding into second base two weekends ago. He's expected to miss three-plus weeks.

After starting the season ice cold, Torres has been swinging a hot bat of late. In his last 11 games, the 23-year-old is hitting .382 (13-for-34) with seven runs scored. That comes after he started the campaign hitting .119 (5-for-42) through a dozen games played.

Last season, Torres led the Yankees with 38 home runs, hitting .278 in 144 games played. 

This isn't the first time Torres has left a game early in 2020. After being hit by a pitch on the inside of his right elbow against the Orioles on July 30, Torres was taken out and diagnosed with a right elbow contusion, but was in the lineup the next day.

The Yankees have faced adversity in a multitude of ways this summer, siomething Boone prefaced was part of being a big leaguer. It's the club's response to the obstacles along the road that separates the good teams from the great ones. 

"We expect to have a great season and hopefully finish with a championship, but adversity we know is inevitable. It's going to come in different ways, unexpected ways and certainly in 2020, it's been a lot of unexpected ways," Boone said. "I do feel we're uniquely equipped to handle it and that'll be the expectation as we grind through a tough spell here some injuries and a tough series."

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