Yankees News, 8/27: Gio Urshela makes an impact, Gleyber Torres’s return spells trouble for one Yankee

The New York Yankees are on an absolute tear, winning 12 games in a row, with their latest coming against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday evening. Early in the game, skipper Aaron Boone was ejected for poor calls made by the umpire, but the Bombers executed revenge in that very same inning, plastering Oakland starter for six runs. The MVP of the day was lefty slugger Joey Gallo, who launched a 3-run blast and earned a walk on the evening.

Altogether, the combination of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gallo drove in five runs and secured four hits and two homers. Even reserve outfielder Brett Gardner got in on the action, launching a homer in the second inning to complement Stanton’s behemoth blast.

However, the Yankees also enjoyed the return of the starting third baseman Gio Urshela, who went 1-for-4 on the evening with a single to center in the fourth to get on base. His defense, however, was phenomenal as always, proving his value to the team. After fighting his way back from a hamstring injury, Urshela’s presence in the lineup and the infield presents tremendous added comfort for the Bombers, who didn’t need him to embark on 11 game win streak before their victory on Thursday.

The Yankees are preparing to return one more infielder, Gleyber Torres, who is working his way back from a sprained thumb he suffered a few weeks ago.

Torres, who represents the starting shortstop for the team has been supplemented by Andrew Velazquez, presenting a small conundrum for Boone to unravel. Velazquez is hitting .250 with three stolen bases and a .267 on-base percentage. His fantastic defensive abilities and speed on the base paths have made him a valuable player during this winning streak.

The Bronx native has firmly cemented himself in the infield, but the return of Torres should send him down to a reserve spot, potentially even back to the minor-league system.

Based on how well the Yankees are playing right now, Boone shouldn’t make too many drastic changes, especially since Velazquez has been playing phenomenal baseball. His defensive efficiency has covered up a lot of holes that Torres left behind, and simply giving him back the job could be a bit premature.