Gleyber Torres not in the lineup for Yankees’ series finale against the Mets

If the New York Yankees want to complete a Subway Series sweep against Justin Verlander and the New York Mets tonight, they’re going to have to do it without arguably their steadiest position player not named Aaron Judge. Second baseman Gleyber Torres isn’t in the lineup for the Bombers on Wednesday in what appears to be just a regular rest day. DJ LeMahieu will start at the keystone in his place, with Josh Donaldson starting at third and Giancarlo Stanton serving as the DH.

The Yankees were already facing a tall task against Verlander, who may be off to a rocky start in his first year with the Mets but who has absolutely killed New York over the past few years. Since being traded to the Houston Astros in 2018, Verlander has pitched to a 2.08 ERA against the Yankees in the regular season — a mark that somehow drops even lower (2.02) in five postseason starts. He has to be licking his chops tonight against a New York lineup that was already thin on impact players with Judge (toe sprain) on the IL.

Torres hasn’t managed to recapture the heights of his All-Star campaigns in 2018 and 2019, but he’s still been a reliable presence near the top of the Yankees lineup, with 11 homers, six steals and a 108 OPS+ while playing in 67 of the team’s 68 games. With New York forced to give so much playing time to replacement-level options (guys like Billy McKinney, Willie Calhoun, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and the ice-cold Jose Trevino) just having an option who you can count on to provide consistently competitive at-bats lengthens things considerably. The team will be really, really relying on Stanton and Anthony Rizzo if they hope to help Gerrit Cole pick up a win.