Why Yankees’ red-hot rookie Gleyber Torres is banged up

Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained why Gleyber Torres is hurt and wasn’t in the lineup for Sunday’s game vs. the Angels.

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NEW YORK — It wasn’t that big of a deal, manager Aaron Boone said, but it was enough to push the Yankees to sit their hot-hitting rookie.

The Yankees kept second baseman Gleyber Torres on the bench for the start of Sunday’s game against the Angels at Yankee Stadium.

Torres hurt his knee diving and missing on a catch Friday night, Boone said.

Didn’t help that the Yankees played a night game Saturday. They lost, 11-4, to Los Angeles.

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Boone explained sitting Torres, 21, who is hitting .323 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 29 games since getting called up.

“Just the day game after the night game (and) the ball he dove for a couple of nights ago just kind of banged up his knee a little bit,” Boone said. “It’s nothing. He could have absolutely played and will be available (Sunday) but it was just something we felt like, day game after a night game, best to give him a blow.”

Boone added, “I saw him in (the clubhouse). He’s OK. Just been kind of treating it the last couple of days and we don’t think it’s a big deal.”

Torres has the second-most home runs in baseball among rookies, behind the Padres’ Carlos Villanueva with 14. Torres’ teammate, Tyler Austin, is third with eight.

Torres had two hits, including a home run, Friday but went hitless in three at-bats with a walk on Saturday.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.