New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres raised some eyebrows during Tuesday night’s 9-7 loss against the New York Mets (box score) when he failed to run hard on an eighth-inning ground ball. Afterward, Torres was asked about his apparent lack of hustle, which he blamed on a tight groin.
Here’s a look at the play in question from an overhead perspective, courtesy of New York Daily News beat writer Gary Phillips. Note that Torres’ ball wasn’t hit particularly hard, creating the opportunity for him to leg out an infield single:
And here’s Torres explaining why he didn’t high-tail it:
It’s worth noting that Torres’ groundout came two pitches after Aaron Judge cracked a grand slam to pull the Yankees within two runs. Had Torres been able to reach base, the tying run would have stepped to the plate in the shape of Alex Verdugo. Instead, Verdugo had to wait until the subsequent frame to take his hacks — he ended up lining out as part of a 1-2-3 top of the ninth.
Torres, 27, is in the midst of a disappointing walk year. He entered Tuesday’s contest hitting just .218/.296/.338 (79 OPS+) with seven home runs, 29 runs batted in, and four stolen bases (on five attempts). His contributions have been worth an estimated 0.3 Wins Above Replacement, putting him on pace to finish well beneath the 2.9 he accumulated last season.
Torres also addressed his sluggish first half of the season on Tuesday, saying in part:”You tell me. I think it’s bad. I have to figure out how to get better. Working really hard.”
The Yankees are now 52-29 following Tuesday’s loss. The Baltimore Orioles also lost on Tuesday, meaning that New York’s lead in the American League East remains at two games.
