Gleyber Torres homers in return to Yankees’ leadoff spot

In searching essentially for a third effective hitter, the Yankees circled back to their original leadoff man.

Gleyber Torres, who was atop the lineup for the first couple weeks of the season but had not been at the spot since April 9, batted in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge for Wednesday’s Subway Series finale in The Bronx.

The gambit worked, as Torres smoked a leadoff homer off lefty Sean Manaea as part of a 2-for-5 night.

Little else worked in a 12-3 loss .

Virtually no one outside of the Yankees’ superstar duo has hit for nearing six weeks now, but Torres had shown encouraging signs recently — at least more encouraging than Aaron Boone’s other options.

“Just trying to find a little combination right now,” the Yankees manager said before hitting Torres in front of Soto, Judge and lefty-hitting cleanup hitter Austin Wells against the southpaw Manaea. “We haven’t faced lefties in a while, so not wanting to go three out of four lefties right out of the chute to open the game.

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“Just trying to mix it up a little bit as we try and kind of find that combination right now to score runs.”

The Yankees entered play having scored the 15th most runs in MLB since their funk began June 15 — a middle-of-the-pack total for a club that contains arguably the two best hitters in the game.

Torres began the season at the top of the order before scuffling — and Boone acknowledging that he believed his second baseman sometimes was pressing — which led to Anthony Volpe rising.

The shortstop, who had begun hot, went cold and posted just a .242 average and .650 OPS from April 10-July 3, all at No. 1.

Ben Rice got his first look in front of Soto and Judge on July 4, but the rookie has severely chilled recently, just 4-for-46 in his past 13 games.

The Yankees have struggled against just about everyone but particularly against southpaws, which prompted Boone to try righty Jahmai Jones at leadoff and J.D. Davis at cleanup Tuesday, moves that backfired and moves that showed just how threadbare the lineup has become.

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When all else had failed, Boone tried a tactic that already failed once.

Torres, who is in a contract season that has gone poorly, hit just .200 with a .521 OPS in 12 games before he fell down the lineup.

He has shown life recently, though, and has boosted his average from .215 to .232 in his past 18 games.

Boone wanted Torres to bring the same swing to the top of the order and not feel any additional pressure.

“I’ve talked with Gleyber a little bit here over the last week and just reminded him who he is and things like that,” Boone said of the 27-year-old, who repeatedly has said he wants a long-term deal with the club. “Thought he put some good at-bats together [Tuesday] night. I feel like he’s had some good at-bats even over the last week or two weeks and had some at-bats where he’s pressing for a result intermixed with those.

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“He’s very capable, as we all know.”

There might not be a more underperforming member of the lineup than Torres, which means there might not be a better bounce-back candidate than Torres.

Alex Verdugo is not hitting that much below his career norms.

DJ LeMahieu has not performed like the DJ LeMahieu of old in several years. Volpe has proven little offensively in the majors.

Torres, conversely, should be in the prime of his career, is a two-time All-Star and was the club’s most consistent hitter last season — a season in which he played far better in the second half than the first.

There is hope with Torres, whose OPS (.671) would easily be the worst in a season in his career — but also has been on the rise after falling to .628 on June 25.

“You’re trying to get some guys rolling, you’re trying to piece together the middle of the lineup,” Boone said. “It’s been a little challenging. But also feel like we have some good things happening with a couple guys, too.”

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