“He Didn’t Make It Tonight”: Aaron Boone Spares No Feelings In Assessing Gleyber’s Poor Outing Against Mets

Escaping a major injury scare, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres seems to be still struggling. Previously, he left the game against the Orioles due to a groin pain he felt during his batting.  Yet again, in a match against the Mets, he looked disappointing on the field, at the plate and running the bases. After a poor game, Torres took the blame on himself and quietly left the field. He drew criticism for not showing interest and lack of hustle, which cost the Yankees an entire game. 

Also, despite Aaron Judge’s heroics yet again, Torres failed against Francisco Lindor of the Mets. In a match where everyone criticized Torres’s approach, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared his view on the 27-year-old second baseman. What led to the Yankee’s loss? Explore to get a detailed summary. 

Aaron Boone on Gleyber Torres and the Yankees loss

With Gleyber Torres not featuring in the Friday series-opening game against the Braves because of injury, manager Aaron Boone had a chat with him. Facing a reporter’s question on why Torres didn’t run out Francisco Linder, Boone said,” He and I had talked about that, and he has been doing a little bit of that quad-run that he came out last week. So, there’s certain spots where we have to be careful with it.”.

Torres made the mistake of not running out the Mets runner when he could have forced a toss or beaten a throw. Even in an attempt to run out Linder, an experienced player like Torres had a top speed of just 21 feet per second. This is well below his 26.4 feet per second average, which made the New York Mets extend their lead. 

Despite Torres not being in his best form, Boone is firmly backing him as he reckons the second baseman is a vital cog in his line-up, “He’s obviously really important to what we’re doing, and especially right now, needing some meat in the middle of that lineup, we’ve got to get him going,” Boone said.

Even though Boone praised Torres, he acknowledged that the 27-year-old must have run out Francisco Linder having an infield in. “That’s a play he should make tonight. I mean, simple as that. He didn’t make it tonight. It happens. But we’ve got to get him going,” Boone added.

If that’s not all, Torres made a blunder in the sixth innings. He charged on Brandon Nimmo’s ground ball failing to catch, resulting in the first home run for the Mets. Eventually, despite Aaron Judge slamming a grand slam and cutting the Yankees trial of 9-3 to just two runs, the team failed to capitalize on it.

Torres’ form and future with the Yankees

Over time, right from Babe Ruth and Di Maggio’s era, the Yankees always had superstars. Not just those with big names but the ones who performed like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Currently, the Yankees are struggling with multiple injuries, and with Gleyber Torres back in the lineup, they have higher expectations of him.

Torres boasted a batting average of .267 over the first six major leagues, but it has dropped to just .215 this season. In 2019, he had slammed a staggering 38 homers. But in 2024, the number is down to 7 in 80 games. Since his big league debut, Gleyber has been on a roll. The two-time All-Star is still one of the second-best basemen. However, after the 2024 season, he will hit free agency.

According to ESPN’s Enrique Rojas, Gleyber Torres will be with the Yankees at the end of the 2024 season. However, that’s a discussion for the future. Right now, the Yankees need Torres to show his potential. However, with a tight groin, Torres’ participation against the Mets at Citi Park seems bleak, adding more pressure to an already shattered Yankees lineup.