The Yankees are still confident that Gleyber Torres will be able to develop into a reliable shortstop, but the Venezuelan had a difficult first week in that position. Torres committed two errors, including a bad throw to first base in extra innings at the end of the New York series against the Orioles, which gave Baltimore the lead in the eventual loss to New York.
Reliever Chad Green got Pedro Severino a grounder to Torres, who looked like it would be the end of the inning, but the infielder hit a shot that bounced off first baseman Jay Bruce. An experienced first baseman could have caught the ball, but Bruce still hasn’t adjusted to that position. The ball escaped and Venezuelan Anthony Santander scored.
“He has the capabilities to go out and do it,” said Bomber manager Aaron Boone. “If you make a critical mistake or something like that, you have to know how to overcome it. And the great thing about Gleyber Torres is that he is a great player. He has worked on his craft, he has the tools to continue to achieve good results in the end.
Torres has worked regularly with infield coach, fellow countryman Carlos Mendoza, to improve his strides at the short stop, resulting in praise for his pre-season dedication and conditioning. However, General Manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that Torres is shaping up best as a second baseman. Possibly the best infield defense would be for Tyler Wade to have a short stop late in the games, instead of sending DJ LeMahieu to first base.
“During Spring Training I prepared quite well,” said Torres this week. “I try to focus on every game, every inning. I feel fine. I feel confident “.