Why the Yankees Can Afford to Play it Safe With Gleyber Torres

As if Gleyber Torres’ disappointing season couldn’t get any worse.

The shortstop was held out of the Yankees’ 12-1 blowout win over the Mariners in Seattle on Monday night with what manager Aaron Boone called left hamstring tightness.

“Still lingering a little bit in there today,” Boone said prior to the Yankees’ enormous victory at Safeco Field. “I’m hoping it’s not anything too serious, but we’ll have to see where it’s at. … Just decided to hold him out and wanted to see how he looks going through the pregame routine today.”

Why Hasn't Gleyber Torres Been Hitting For Power This Season?

The good news is that Boone said Torres was available off the bench on Tuesday night, despite not being used in the game due to the score. Plus, the shortstop is back in the starting lineup Wednesday. Prior to both games, Torres took batting and fielding practice and came away feeling good afterwards, which is a good sign.

Torres first felt his hamstring cramping up on him ahead of Game 2 of Sunday’s Subway Series doubleheader with the Mets, Boone said. In his absence, Gio Urshela filled his spot at shortstop, with Rougned Odor at second base and DJ LeMahieu sliding over to third.

Following a rough 2020 COVID-shortened campaign, Torres’ struggles have carried over to this season, slashing .238/.328/.308 with just three home runs and an anemic .635 OPS.

While his status sounds promising, the Yankees would be wise to play it safe with him since they had no shortage of scoring runs in their last contest.

They could also learn from the Mets’ mistakes earlier in the season when second baseman Jeff McNeil was dealing with leg cramps. The Amazins’ sat him for several days before putting him back in the lineup, but that ultimately backfired, as McNeil’s condition turned into a hamstring strain, which kept him out for a month.

If the team is hoping for Torres to get out of this offensive rut, worsening a hamstring issue will not enhance his progress at the plate. It will only prolong his tough times offensively, which has hurt the Yankees’ offense all year long.

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