ATLANTA — Gleyber Torres is running his production into the ground.
One of the Yankees’ most consistent hitters for much of the season, Torres grounded into a pair of double plays Tuesday night in a 5-0 loss to the Braves, continuing a troubling trend.
He has now hit into six double plays over his last six games — the most by a Yankee in any six-game span in franchise history, according to Stathead — in part sapping the team’s offense during a difficult stretch.
“Just a little bit of a few-day funk for him where he’s been putting it on the ground a little bit,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Usually he does a good job of avoiding that as much as anyone, really.”
Through his first 113 games this season, Torres grounded into 11 double plays. But his six in his past six games suddenly have him tied for the fourth-most double plays in the majors with 17 this season.
Both of Torres’ twin killings on Tuesday came after Aaron Judge led off an inning with a walk.
Overall, the Yankees recorded 12 of their 21 outs against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder on ground balls.
Harrison Bader was picked off first base for the final out of the sixth inning Monday in a game the Yankees trailed 8-2, but Boone explained why he did not think it was the right move to pull the outfielder because of his baserunning mistake.
“Because to me, it wasn’t a guy that wasn’t focused and wasn’t really trying and competing,” Boone said Tuesday. “I think it was a bad mistake and egregious. But not one that I didn’t think it was a guy that was not completely invested, completely hooked up and really competing.”
Michael King, whom the Yankees successfully avoided using out of the bullpen on Tuesday, could start the series finale Wednesday.
The reliever threw two innings and 41 pitches as an opener on Saturday, the start of the Yankees’ plan to stretch out his workload.
Boone was not ready to publicly announce a starter, but either way, Randy Vasquez is in line to pitch the bulk of the innings.
The Yankees had the option to use day off this Thursday to rearrange their rotation heading into a series against the Red Sox.
But instead it appears they will stay in line, meaning Jhony Brito is scheduled to pitch Friday (potentially behind an opener) with Gerrit Cole set to start on Saturday.