Gleyber Torres making emphatic postseason statement with Yankees future in question

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gleyber Torres is swinging like he isn’t ready to find out the Yankees’ plans for his free agency.

Torres was at the center of both Yankees’ scoring rallies in the first five innings Thursday, playing the key role in a series-clinching 3-1 victory against the Royals by contributing two hits, a run and a two-out RBI single in Game 4 of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium.

Continuing the half-season climb back from the abyss that coincided with his move back into the leadoff spot, Torres jumped on the first pitch of the game and doubled to center field.

Two pitches later, he scored on Juan Soto’s single.

“Gleyber starting it off in a big game for us,” Aaron Judge said. “A big spot.”

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Torres started his contract walk year by expressing a desire to be a “Yankee for life” and extended it by scoring four of the Yankees’ 14 runs over the four games.

“He’s getting on base at such a high clip,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But you see the aggression, too. First pitch of the game, here we go, boom. Then the RBI to extend the lead. He’s just been having such quality at-bats now for a couple of months, and it’s been huge.”

Torres also played the role of peacekeeper in the sixth inning when the bullpens and benches emptied after Maikel Garcia’s hard late slide into Anthony Volpe on the back end of a double play resulted in a seemingly accidental forearm shiver from Volpe around Garcia’s neck.

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Torres tried to usher Garcia back to his teammates as Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Garcia jawed back and forth.

The Yankees will have to make a decision on whether to extend the qualifying offer to Torres within five days of the World Series ending.

But Torres helped the Yankees get one step closer to playing in those final games for the first time since 2009.

Jon Berti got the start at first base Thursday in Game 4 against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, going 1-for-3 with a walk in his second start there of the series.

Oswaldo Cabrera had started at first in Games 1 and 3, including against Wacha in Game 1.

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“That’s been my one tough call each day so far,” Boone said. “I like how both of them have performed. I thought Berti was excellent in his game over there on both sides of the ball, at-bats-wise and defensively. Cabby’s been excellent, too. Wacha’s a little more neutral with the changeup. Felt like the balance of the right-left-right-left all the way through [the lineup]. But could have easily gone Cabby, too.”

Nestor Cortes (left elbow flexor strain) played catch again Thursday, continuing to increase the intensity of those sessions.

He is hoping to progress to throwing off a mound by early next week, and if all goes well, could potentially become an option for the World Series if the Yankees make it there.

The Yankees’ minor league facilities in Tampa sustained some flooding and damage overnight Wednesday from Hurricane Milton.

The foul poles at Steinbrenner Field got knocked down while the batter’s eye at the player development complex got torn up and some fences came down.

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