Despite the errors, Aaron Boone pleased with Gleyber Torres’ progress at shortstop

Gleyber Torres was out of the lineup Tuesday night, but the shortstop was on the field hours before the game working on his defense. After committing three errors in two games and with him struggling at the plate, Aaron Boone thought it was a good day to give him a rest.

The Yankees’ manager, however, is looking at the whole picture and thinks Torres has shown real progress at shortstop.

“I think, over the last year, I think, his routine, his physical preparation, I think it has gotten very solid. Starting in spring training I feel like he’s a much better defender, in a much better place than he ever has been,” Boone said. “He’s had a couple of spells, obviously the first homestand, where he had a couple games where he made some mistakes and then obviously the few errors in the last two games that probably snowballed on him a little bit.

“I also take a step and look back at it, he’s played a lot of really good shortstop this year, a lot of really solid shortstop,” Boone continued. ”When the pitching fueled us, the defense fueled us, Gleyber was a big part of that. So I look at the last couple days out there, more of a little bit of a rut and a little bit of a snowball effect that you’ve got to get past it as a big league shortstop. But I don’t want to take away from what I feel like is a lot of progress that he’s made out there, and especially in his preparation and pregame routine and things like that.”

With his nine errors this season, Torres has the third most among big league shortstops and is 15th in DWAR at 0.5.

STANTON SITS

After going 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts in his first three games since missing 13 games with a left quad injury, Giancarlo Stanton was back out of the lineup on Tuesday night. It was his second night off since coming back on Friday night.

“With G, it’s just kind of building him up through this week. So, kind of a planned day (off),” Boone said. “I think this is about just building him up smartly and I think he’s a little bit driving that bus too, making sure with all that he’s been through ... the last couple of years with some of the soft tissue stuff that he’s dealt with, he’s listening to his body, and communicates and is forthright with us.”

SEVERINO SET FOR REHAB

Luis Severino came through his final simulated game well on Sunday and he is scheduled to make his first minor league rehab start on Sunday.

“He threw the ball really well, he was sitting 97 and finished off in the third inning really cutting it loose and threw the ball incredibly well,” Boone said of the reports of Severino’s three simulated innings. “I think he feels great from an elbow standpoint, and his body’s in great shape. So he is now the next thing is he’s scheduled to pitch with an affiliate starting on Sunday, that probably will be his next outing.

“I don’t know where that’s going to be, but I don’t necessarily think it’s going to be in Tampa. It could be Somerset or it could be Scranton,” Boone added.

INJURY UPDATES

-Corey Kluber was getting a third opinion on his right shoulder strain Tuesday afternoon, so there was no further update on the righthander.

“He’s getting an opinion today that will be significant.” Boone said before adding he expected a clearer idea of Kluber’s prognosis on Wednesday.

-Luke Voit returned to the team Tuesday after spending a few days with his wife, who gave birth to their first child last week. The slugger is on the IL with a strained right oblique muscle, but reported to the Stadium feeling “great.”

That gave Boone hope that the first baseman could be back in weeks, not months.

“I would think that’s very much in play,” Boone said when asked if Voit could be back by July 1.

“He’s doing really well and told me he actually feels great today. So we’re probably looking at a few weeks hopefully,” Boone said. “I think he’s a little surprised how good he feels today. He’ll obviously ramp up a lot of stuff. ... we’re probably a few weeks out.”

NEVIN NEARING A RETURN

Third base coach Phil Nevin, who was the first of the Yankees’ breakthrough cases of COVID-19 last month, has still not returned to full duty, but is back at the ballpark.

“He is actually here today. And he is doing much better. He had some other things going on that he’s dealing with and getting through but he is, I would say, doing very well,” Boone said. “Hopefully sooner rather than later. You’ll see him in the dugout and then eventually out at third base again.”

FORD SENT DOWN

Mike Ford’s chance seems to be over. The first baseman was optioned after Tuesday night’s 5-3, 11-inning win over the Rays at Yankee Stadium. Ford went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and finished his stint with the Bomber hitting .135 with three home runs and a .561 OPS.

The left-handed slugger, who was a big part of the Yankees’ “Next Man Up,” crew in the 2019 injury-ravaged season, had a great opportunity to establish himself this season. First baseman Luke Voit began the season on the injured list after knee surgery and Jay Bruce retired in the first month, clearing a way for Ford to make an impression.

Instead, the Yankees have gotten little production from first. They had the third-worst OPS (.529) and just five home runs from the spot that Voit won a home run title from in 2020.

Voit is back on the IL with a strained oblique and while the Yankees are hopeful it is going to be just a few weeks, they need to start getting some offense from that spot. They do not have another first baseman on the 40-man roster, but do have power-hitting Chris Gittens in Triple-A. With the Yankees expecting Corey Kluber to be out at least two months with a strained scap muscle, they could move Kluber to the 60-day IL and call up Gittens, who manager Aaron Boone said was “very much,” on their radar.

BRITTON MIX-UP

Zack Britton will make his second minor league rehab appearance Wednesday night with Double-A Somerset. The team had initially announced Britton would start Tuesday, but Boone said that was just his mistake.

“I misspoke,” Boone said.