Adding insult to injury for the New York Yankees following a six-game skid, the 2017 season ended early for the organization’s top prospect. Infielder Gleyber Torres (the No. 2 overall MLB prospect, according to Baseball America) suffered a torn UCL while sliding into home plate over the weekend.
Update on INF Gleyber Torres: pic.twitter.com/hYNTpjGIeb
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) June 19, 2017
Gleyber Torres to Undergo Tommy John
The 20-year-old shortstop was acquired in the 2016 trade deadline deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs. In return, the Yankees received Torres, reliever Adam Warren, and minor leaguers Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford.
In his young professional career (which amounts to four seasons), Torres is slashing .282/.360/.416. Prior to the injury, Torres was hitting .287 with seven homers and 34 RBI in 55 games between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.
While this move doesn’t signal the sky falling in the Bronx, it does affect the Yankees’ plans for the remainder of the season. With Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro performing exceptionally up the middle, many looked for Torres to eventually replace the struggling Chase Headley at third base this season. Headley is currently hitting .244 with four homers and 29 RBI in 2017 (.244/.329/.364).
The saving grace for the Baby Bombers is the fact that even with their recent struggles – they still sit tied atop the American League East with the Boston Red Sox. Torres never had the burden of being a savior and the club can afford to take their time with him, to heal and to develop.
Main Photo
New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres (81) during the Spring Training game between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees on March 02, 2017, at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL.
