TORONTO — Gleyber Torres’ psychological reset could also be over by Friday, with an opposing left-hander on the mound.
Till then, Aaron Boone gave Torres a second straight day trip of the lineup Thursday in hopes of lastly shaking the Yankees’ second baseman unfastened from his depressing begin to the season.
Torres, who stated he and Boone “had a extremely good dialog in Queens,” indicated he has spent the 2 days off working onerous within the cage to repair his swing.
“I really feel wrestle — I don’t really feel my swing is there,” Torres stated after the Yankees’ 9-2 loss to the Blue Jays. “[Mentally] I’m good. I’m positive. Simply while you don’t do the fitting factor for the staff, it’s not that straightforward. I attempt to compete actually onerous and attempt to get issues proper. However now I don’t assume I do the fitting factor. I want these issues assist me to do good and I begin working [Friday].”
Boone stated he has left it as much as Torres and the hitting coaches to determine whether or not he makes use of the time without work to get away from the sport (as a lot as one can through the season) or dive deeper into his work on his swing.
However one factor was not in query for the supervisor.
“I understand how a lot Gleyber cares,” Boone stated earlier than the loss. “I understand how onerous he’s working behind the scenes. However I’ve additionally been in his footwear the place the sport’s onerous and it could possibly beat you down. I believe we’re on the identical web page with that.
“I’m trying ahead to what I do know goes to be a resurgence for him sooner or later. I proceed to say, he’s clearly a extremely vital a part of our staff and our lineup in giving size to our lineup. He’s too good a hitter to be held down for too lengthy.”
After being the Yankees’ most constant wholesome hitter from begin to end final season, Torres has been a shell of himself this yr in a pricey flip of occasions whereas batting .215 with a .628 OPS via 80 video games.
Torres has repeatedly stated that his powerful begin has nothing to do along with his being in his contract yr, a state of affairs that might understandably compound itself as soon as just a few tough weeks pile up.
There was a stretch lately the place it regarded like Torres is perhaps popping out of it, batting .266 with a .808 OPS in 30 video games from Could 12 to June 13.
However in 9 video games since then, he has sunk proper again into his offensive malaise, batting simply 2-for-29 (.069) with a .401 OPS.
It has coincided with a brutal stretch for the Yankees at giant, getting into Thursday having misplaced 9 of their final 12 video games with a lineup that has struggled to supply exterior of its high three hitters in Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto and Aaron Choose.
Torres additionally made a pair of errors in his final 4 video games earlier than hitting the bench, trying extra like he was carrying his offensive struggles onto the sector with him, after which caught Boone’s consideration by not working out a floor ball late in Tuesday’s loss to the Mets.
Boone, who tries to maintain the heartbeat of his gamers from a private standpoint, may inform Torres wanted just a few days.
What that point off regarded like, Boone left as much as Torres.
On Wednesday, the 27-year-old did some work with the hitting workers after it had recognized just a few “delicate issues” in his swing.
However there was additionally a psychological element to his break.
“We’re speaking a few man that’s within the bodily prime of his profession that has an extended, lengthy observe document of hitting,” Boone stated. “So there’s no purpose to assume we received’t get that out. But it surely’s a really mentally taxing sport. It’s a gauntlet, it’s a bear, it’s a mom. The sector’s powerful. Generally, that takes a while to work via and get to that place.”
Requested if he thinks Torres nonetheless believes he can flip it round, Boone stated he did.
“It’s onerous to imagine that generally while you’re going via it and you are feeling that,” Boone stated. “However I believe deep down, you understand, ‘I simply must get it to click on and get it firing,’ and then you definitely type of take off and your mind will get out of the best way a bit of bit.”