Yankees: Gleyber Torres pulled from Thursday’s game after awkward slide
![BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 15: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees throws to first after fielding a ground ball during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field on June 15, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fyanksgoyard-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2021-2F06-2F1323876399-850x560-d042da63b4819b2fca66cb5c5f874128.jpg)
UPDATE: It’s left lower back stiffness for Gleyber Torres. Very odd!
Gleyber Torres is out of the game with left lower back stiffness. He'll be further evaluated tomorrow, team says. #Yankees
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) June 18, 2021
Just as the Yankees had put together a series win on the road against one of their chief AL East rivals, a rather big step as far as small steps go.
Just as their offense was slightly rounding into form — at least in the clutch.
Just as Gleyber Torres was figuring things out at shortstop, more likely to make the highlight reel than the blooper reel over the past few weeks…the team may have lost him.
Is there any reason to grow emotionally attached to the 2021 Yankees? Any at all?
Torres nearly completed an odd double play in the bottom of the third inning, botched by a bizarre Tyler Wade throw that could’ve used some Spider Tack, and clattered to the dirt in the process.
He finished the inning, but when his time at bat arrived in the top of the fourth, Rougned Odor was at the plate. Just wonderful.
Gleyber got up gingerly after last inning’s double play attempt and took a bit of a slide during the play pic.twitter.com/A2onbh9UIu
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 18, 2021
Yankees: Gleyber Torres pulled with injury after awkward slide
After watching the video, what do we think the issue is?
Torres was spotted on the field being led to the clubhouse between innings — of course, this is a minor-league stadium, so he was led randomly through the wall — and he didn’t seem to be walking gingerly.
David Cone speculated on the broadcast that, once his spike caught, he’d fallen and placed his full body weight on his wrist. Judging by the video of him leaving the stadium, in which he let his wrist hang limply by his side, that seems like the likely pain source.
We endorse pulling players at the first sign of trouble instead of risking further injury by compensating, and hopefully this is one of those cases, though further tests are sure to follow quickly.
Considering the Yankees took the first two games of this series, perhaps we should be grateful Aaron Boone even started Torres at all instead of giving him a random, punt-flavored off day? Without him, this offense looks even more meager.