Gleyber Torres Receives Warm Ovation in Return to Yankee Stadium; Tigers Rout Yankees 12-2
Torres tipped his helmet and saluted fans in his first visit to the Bronx since leaving the Yankees; Will Warren allowed two runs over six innings in New York's loss.
Gleyber Torres received a sustained, mostly positive reception Tuesday night in his first game back at Yankee Stadium since leaving the club, drawing applause and a tribute video before the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 12-2.
Torres, who spent seven seasons in New York, tipped his helmet before his first at-bat and stepped out of the Tigers' dugout to salute the crowd after a tribute video played before the second inning. The second baseman went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks in the victory and has been an All-Star this season for the first time since his first two big-league seasons with the Yankees.
"He certainly deserves that [a good reception]," former Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. Boone also described Torres as a "staple" in the Tigers' lineup. Torres, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Detroit in the offseason after the Yankees declined to re-sign him, said he has no ill will toward the organization that brought him to New York.
"I don't have any bad feelings with the [Yankees] organization," Torres said. "I'm always going to be grateful for the opportunity first to trade for me from the Cubs and give me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. ... To wear the pinstripes was really an honor for me."
Torres, 28, has produced a solid season in Detroit, entering Tuesday with a .259 batting average and a .758 OPS in 128 games. He credited his new club with helping him become more aggressive on the bases, specifically citing third-base coach Joey Cora and a team-wide emphasis on generating more run-scoring opportunities through aggressive baserunning.
The return was notable in part because Torres' tenure in New York included both productive stretches and notable struggles, including mental errors on the bases and in the field. He left New York after the 2024 season as a free agent and signed with Detroit, where he has regained offensive consistency and earned an All-Star nod.
On the mound for the Yankees, right-hander Will Warren turned in a quality start despite the lopsided score. In his 30th start of the season, Warren allowed two runs over six innings, marking his 21st start this year in which he yielded two earned runs or fewer.
"I think our job as a starter is to be able to take the ball every five days and go as deep as you can into games," Warren said. "I'm excited about that. Just keep it rolling."
Manager Aaron Boone said he planned to give Aaron Judge a day at designated hitter on Wednesday after Judge played right field Tuesday, rotating him with Giancarlo Stanton as Judge works back from a right elbow flexor strain. Anthony Rizzo, who started all five World Series games at first base for the Yankees last October but has not played this season, was shown on the video board and received an ovation from the crowd.
The Yankees recognized the Fairfield National Little League team, which finished third at the Little League World Series last month, before the game. The day featured both nostalgic moments for New York fans and tangible signs of change for Torres, who said the Tigers' approach to situational play and baserunning has been an important adjustment.
The Tigers' win underscored their ability to generate offense against a Yankees staff that has faced injury adjustments and roster turnover. For Torres, the night was a reminder of his connection to New York fans and the arc of a seven-year run that included early success, midcareer struggles and, most recently, a revival in Detroit that culminated in a return to the Bronx as an opponent.