Gleyber Torres’ injury will test Yankees’ depth

The New York Yankees have depth in a lot of places, but their middle infield isn’t really one of them. The team will sorely miss Gleyber Torres.

Aaron Boone was certainly pleased to see his team win the series against the Atlanta Braves, but it may prove to be a costly victory. Sending Gleyber Torres to the 10-day DL with a hip issue could cause the Yankees a lot of problems during his absence.

The team put Torres on the shelf with what it is calling a “right hip strain.” Team officials claim Torres has been dealing with some discomfort for most of the season, but it really became aggravated after a strikeout against the Braves this week. The injury should keep the Yankees second baseman on the shelf until after the All-Star break.

Losing Torres won’t cripple the Yankees lineup, but it will challenge Boone to push the right buttons on the roster. Ordinarily Ronald Torreyes would be called up to help pitch in, but he is still on the temporary inactive list in the minors. Boone won’t comment on the specifics of any issue, but he did make it clear Torreyes won’t be in consideration to replace Torres on the roster at this time.

The most likely call-up will be Tyler Wade. He struggled in his time with the Yankees earlier this season, but has played better in the minors as of late. Specifically, he’s hitting .317 for the team’s AAA affiliate since June 1. That should be good enough to get him back to the Bronx for the time being.

Even if Wade comes back up, expect Boone to mostly go with Brandon Drury and Neil Walker at second base. Walker continues to get regular opportunities in the Yankees lineup despite his pitiful .185 batting average on the year. He does have the ability to handle the defensive responsibilities at second.

Drury will also get his chance to secure his place on the major league roster. He’s only hitting .200 on the season but he’s just come back to New York after a productive stint in the minors. He broke camp as the team’s starting third baseman, but was overtaken by Miguel Andujar after vision difficulties sent him to the disabled list. Ironically, the injury to Torres might give him enough regular playing time to keep him in the majors for the rest of the season.

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Ultimately, Boone will attempt to replace Torres by committee until he’s ready to go again. The important thing for the Yankees is to make sure they give him enough time to make a full recovery. The team can’t afford for Torres’ hip to be an issue down the stretch.