Bombers still have Gary’s back despite struggles
While he’s still somewhat of a punching bag for Yankee fans, Gary Sanchez remains a respected figure in the clubhouse. Everyone in his orbit is aware of the lumps Sanchez has taken this season, but with a home run on Monday — amid loud conversations about his playing time and future with the team — the catcher ingratiated himself to his teammates and coaches.
“No one is going to be perfect playing this game,” Sanchez said on Monday. “Even if you look at Gold Glovers, they’re going to make some mistakes. You have to understand that you’re going to make mistakes, but you can’t let that carry over.”
“One of the things I’ve gained some admiration for over the course of the year — he’s been through a lot here in his entire career, this year was scuffling early on and lost some playing time — but he put his nose down and worked,” manager Aaron Boone said of Sanchez.
The home run put the Yankees on the board and got things rolling toward a slump-busting win. It was Sanchez’s 22nd of his tumultuous 2021 campaign, one that has seen him put through the ringer.
“Huge, huge,” Torres said. “I feel like Gary’s getting better and better and gaining more confidence. He’s been working out and making the adjustments.”
“I’ve gained a lot of respect for the man,” Boone said. “He’s become a smart worker now. He knows how to prepare. He does a good job of blocking things out and moving on.”
Sanchez batted seventh and was behind the plate on Tuesday for Jordan Montgomery’s start at Yankee Stadium, going hitless in four at-bats. Whatever work he put in between Monday’s final pitch and Tuesday’s first pales in comparison to his mindset, though, which Sanchez hails as the thing that allows him not to get swallowed up by the noise.
“It’s a tough sport, long year,” Sanchez added. “The main focus is the next pitch. The next pitch is the most important one.”
GLEYBER GETTING HOT
Something about the Subway Series got Gleyber Torres back on track.
Torres came into Tuesday’s game hitting a robust .317/.378/.439 since
September 10, the first day of the Yankees’ three-gamer against the Mets. The infielder who’s been pushed to second base has not let the position change hurt his hitting. After a single on Tuesday night he’s riding an eight-game hitting streak, a stretch in which he’s exclusively played second base.
“I always try to be here and do the little things for the team. That’s the most important thing for me,” Torres said after going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Monday’s win. “Getting that RBI and helping the team win the game, that was a huge thing for us.”
Torres still has career-lows in onbase and slugging percentage. But he’s second on the team in stolen bases (14) and third in doubles (19), with much better overall numbers in the second half. Before the All-Star break, the 24-year-old had a .634 OPS. Prior to Tuesday’s game, it was .772, in the same neighborhood as his career average that made the Yankees so enamored with him.
LOAISIGA LOOSE
Jonathan Loaisiga threw from 120 feet prior to Tuesday’s game, with a bullpen session tentatively scheduled for Friday.
“I watched most of his catch,” Boone remarked. “I thought he looked really good, throwing free and easy. I know each of these days has gone well for him as he’s been re-introduced to throwing.”
The plan is still, definitively, to have Loaisiga back before the regular season ends. But anyone with a Yankees’ schedule magnet on their fridge knows that there aren’t many days left. Ideally, the Yankees would have him for at least part of the upcoming Red Sox series, but his current progression makes the Blue Jays or Rays games his most likely landing spot. According to Boone, that’s up to the righty’s body and the team’s physio experts.
“The trainers will have a big role in that, in deciding how many (bullpens) he needs, how sharp they are, how he’s recovering from those,” Boone explained. “Because he wasn’t down very long, he probably, in theory, shouldn’t need too much.”