Boone benches Torres in 4th inning vs. Blue Jays: 'I needed to do it'

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone benched second baseman Gleyber Torres in the fourth inning of Friday's 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I just felt like, in that moment, I felt like I needed to do that," Boone said after the game, according to YES Network.

Torres was caught staring at a ball he thought was a home run in the second inning before it hit the wall - likely costing him a double. Blue Jays catcher Brian Serven later tagged Torres at the plate in the latter's attempt to score.

Torres played defense in the third inning but was replaced in the game by Oswaldo Cabrera. Boone and Torres were seen having an exchange in the dugout before the infielder was benched.

Boone wouldn't disclose the reason Torres was removed from the contest but said the issue is behind them and that the second baseman will start in the second game of the series against the Blue Jays on Saturday. The manager added that Torres played defense in the third inning to give Cabrera time to prepare for the switch.

"It is what it is. It's over with. We've got to move on," Boone said. "He and I have spoken. And, hopefully, this is a great learning moment for all of us."

Torres apologized to his teammates and fans during a postgame interview, admitting he thought he'd hit a home run and that he should have been hustling out of the batter's box.

"He didn't like the way I didn't run in the moment to second base. I mean, I think he did the right thing, especially in the moment," Torres said of his manager's decision to bench him.

It's been a rocky season for Torres, who was left out of the Yankees lineup for a few days near the end of June because of his struggles at the plate and in the field.

Upon his June 28 return to the lineup, Torres appeared to anger teammate Marcus Stroman with a miscue in the field. The pair worked it out, and Stroman said he didn't have any issues with Torres.

On Monday, Torres raised concerns when he said he wasn't interested in changing positions to accommodate Jazz Chisholm Jr., who the Yankees recently acquired in a trade.