NEW YORK (AP) - Top prospect Gleyber Torres is being called up to the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
The 21-year-old infielder will join the Yankees before Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the person said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
Torres has hit .347 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and 11 RBIs for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the International League. He was removed from the RailRiders’ 6-5 loss to Toledo on Saturday after six innings.
Torres was at second base for the sixth time this season on Saturday - starting there for the second straight day- and also has played nine games at shortstop and nine games at third. His promotion was first reported by the Yankees’ YES Network.
The Times-Tribune in Scranton reported RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell did not tell Torres why he was being removed from the game but that it was not for disciplinary reasons, then informed him of the promotion after the game while his teammates looked on.
“Super happy. It’s like dreams come (true),” Torres was quoted by the paper as sayibg.
Torres, who is from Venezuela, called his parents and said he hoped they would make it to New York in time for Sunday’s game.
If the Yankees had called up Torres before last Wednesday and kept him in the major leagues, he would have been eligible for free agency after the 2023 season. By delaying his promotion, the Yankees pushed back his free-agent eligibility until after the 2024 season.
Voted the top player in the 2016 Arizona Fall League, Torres had been at Triple-A for a month last year when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his non-throwing left arm during a headfirst slide into home plate on June 17. He hit .287 with 14 doubles, seven homers and 34 RBIs in 202 at-bats last year at Double-A and Triple-A.
Torres joins an infield that already includes 23-year-old rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar, who has eight extra-base hits in his last five games
Yankees manager Aaron Boone did not think the looming arrival of Torres caused Andujar to play better. Andujar had a three-run double off Marcus Stroman in Saturday’s 9-1 with over Toronto and four doubles over three games earlier in the homestand.
“He’s just gaining some traction and getting a little more comfortable,” Boone said. “Walking up to hit, he’s got a little bit of that swagger back, like he’s starting to feel confident and comfortable.”
Brandon Drury, acquired from Arizona early in spring training, began the season as the Yankees’ third baseman but has not played since April 6 because of severe migraines. Neil Walker, signed last month, won the second-base job during spring training but is hitting .183 with three RBIs.
Since Drury went on the disabled list, Walker and Tyler Wade have each started three games at second base and Ronald Torreyes five.
Wade is hitting .086 with four RBIs and could be the player demoted to make room for Torres.
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