So, let me get this straight: Gleyber has been forgiven, and all is well?

 

An old Mad Mag satire of newspaper Personals went: "Igor, come home! You didn't fracture my skull. You just broke my jaw. All is forgiven."

That's sorta how I feel about about Gleyber Torres.

Apparently, he received a one-game penalty box for watching a HR drive hit the wall, and settling for a single. After months of sleepwalking, botching plays in the field and getting thrown out on the bases, he misses one game? One? 

It might make sense if the Yanks had nobody else, but Oswaldo Cabrera has been starting to hit, and DJ LeMahieu had just enjoyed his best outing of 2024 - and then he was benched the following game. 

So, Gleyber's "wake up call" equals LeMahieu's congrats. Huh.

Look, Gleyber's Yankee career is coming to an end. Considering the money they'll throw at Juan Soto - rightfully, I should add - it's hard to see Torres and/or Alex Verdugo returning next winter. But they can't seem to quit Gleyber. All is forgiven. He didn't fracture our skull. He just broke our jawbone.  

Other notes:

1. Last week, the brain trust decided that Giancarlo Stanton, returning from his latest tweak, didn't need a minor league rehab assignment. Okay, fine. 

However... Since returning, he is 3 for 18 - .156 - with one double. Yesterday, batting 5th, he went 0-for-5 and helped justify Toronto intentionally walking Aaron Judge thrice.

Eventually, Giancarlo will hit. (Whether he can run, that's a different story.) In the meantime, though, couldn't he have taken a collar in Scranton? 

2. Ben Rice is sinking: 5-for-33 (.152) with 11 strikeouts over the last two weeks. The guy still looks like a grinder - he takes pitches and battles every at bat, reminder of Brett Gardner. He has a future, but I wonder if it isn't as a catcher? And I worry that the Yankees, moving him to 1B and rushing him, did his future development no favors.  

3. Much is being made about Anthony Volpe re-altering his swing, going on a recent tear (.351 with 5 HRs in the last two weeks) and maybe saving his season. If it's true, fine - although it raises the question of why they meddled with his swing to begin with. 

Frankly, I think Volpe just needed a rest. Guy has played 112 games, come to bat 468 times. Heading into the all-star break, he looked gassed.  

4. Wednesday begins my annual Drunk Blog. I get together with old college buddies - key word being "old" - and we drink nonstop for five days. I'll post occasional drunken rants and hallucinations. They will be brilliant and witty. Unfortunately, they won't make sense. 

Don't worry. I know the Olympian IIHIIFIIc team of posters will protect me in the order better than the Yankees do Judge. See you on the other side.