During the New York Yankees' 8–5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, second baseman Gleyber Torres was benched by manager Aaron Boone.
A bit before the decision to remove him from the game, Torres failed to hustle out of the box on a hard-hit ball that went off the left-field wall. Nothing catastrophic came of the play, he reached base safely, but Boone did not like the look of Torres failing to work hard out of the box.
Boone allowed Torres to play the top of the next inning, but removed him after that. Here is the play:
Here's Gleyber Torres watching that long single from multiple angles. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/vuzc8xHxzc
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 3, 2024
Cameras caught the interaction between Boone and Torres, where he appeared to let him know he was being removed from the game:
FINALLY Boone holds Gleyber accountable. So refreshing pic.twitter.com/J0odqaSqPA
— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) August 3, 2024
"He [didn't] like the way I didn't run in the moment to second base I think he did the right thing, especially in the moment... I always agree [with Boone]. As a professional, you have to take the consequence, especially in the moment, I don't have to think too much, I have to run and have to get on second, see what's happened. For one second I thought it was a homer, but unfortunately, it's just a single. I have to get better. And you know, I feel really sorry for whatever I do tonight especially for the fans and also for my teammates. I’m a human being, I [made] an error. And I feel like, from whatever I do tonight, I’m gonna learn a lot.”
“I think he did the right thing especially in that moment... I feel really sorry for what I did tonight especially for the fans and also my teammates. I’m a human being and I made an error. From what I did tonight, I’m gonna learn a lot.” -Gleyber Torres pic.twitter.com/nPYiVlzhqR
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 3, 2024
Asked if he was surprised that Boone didn't take him out right when the play had happened, Torres said this:
"Yes, clearly [I was surprised]. But I mean, he's the skipper, he do the right decision, and you know, it's not excuses. I take it, just learn, like I say, and be ready for tomorrow." Later, when he was asked what the conversation entailed "I want to keep, really, privacy, but maybe looked bad, but it was a conversation just on what happened in the moment."
Torres, at one point, left the dugout and went into the clubhouse. He came back into the dugout and supported his teammates from the bench. Asked why, here's what he had to say:
"For my teammates, whatever I do tonight, I don't want to be the bad part of the night. I just want to be there with my teammates. Not on the field but just do the right support on the bench and just be there."
The Yankees play a matinee game Saturday, and Torres is back in the starting lineup.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gleyber Torres Comments on Manager Aaron Boone Benching Him From Game.
