FAST TRACK
As Headley skids, Torres debuts at Triple-A
Gleyber Torres didn’t last long at Double-A Trenton.
The Yankees decided to move their top prospect to Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre, where he made his debut on Tuesday against Columbus.
The next step will be more challenging for the infielder, but Joe Girardi isn’t ruling anything out.
“As I tell these young kids all the time, ‘I know sometimes it feels like you’re a long ways away [from the majors],” the manager said before the Yankees’ 6-2 loss to the Royals in The Bronx. “Things can happen really quickly in this game. Guys have [gone] from A-ball one year to the big leagues. It happens. And we’re paying attention. I’m looking at what everyone’s doing every day.”
He won’t be alone. Asked if he was intrigued by the 20year-old, Girardi said: “I think all of us are.”
Torres, who played third base and hit third in the lineup went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout while also committing an error that allowed a run to score in SWB’s 6-3 loss to Columbus.
Both Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman have said Torres will continue to move from his natural shortstop position to third base and second base as they try to make him as versatile as possible for a leap to the majors — since shortstop Didi Gregorius isn’t going anywhere.
Girardi said he will keep an eye on Torres’ at-bats, while infield coach Joe Espada, who worked with Torres during spring training on his fielding, monitors his defense.
“They can run, but they can’t hide,’’ Girardi said of the Yankees’ minor leaguers.
The timing of Torres’ promotion surprised some, coming not long after he was pulled from a game for not running out a pop-up he thought was going to be foul, as well as the fact that he didn’t tear up Double-A pitching.
But last year Torres seemed to play better as the competition improved.
After coming to the Yankees as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, Torres was fine with Single-A Tampa, but hardly a superstar.
That changed when he became the MVP of the Arizona Fall League following the season at just 19. This season, Torres had an .863 OPS in 32 games with Trenton.
Chase Headley is in the midst of a horrendous slump for the second time in as many years, so it would only be natural for the veteran to take notice of Torres’ advancement.
Headley, though, insisted he wasn’t paying attention to it.
“There are things that are out of your control and that’s the last thing on my mind,” said Headley, who after going 1-for-4 with a double Tuesday, is still in a 15-for-100 (.150) slide with seven extrabase hits and 31 strikeouts. “I’m focused on what I can do. Whatever’s going on down there can’t help me here.”