Gleyber Torres entered the season with uncertainty regarding his role on the Yankees, thanks — in part — to the presence of DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson.
Asked if he had any expectations about how often or what position he expects to play, Torres said, “No, not really. I don’t have any news yet. But I’m here to do my job at any position at any time and I’m gonna play and try my best. Let’s see how we figure out all season long the best position for me to play.”
He added his preference was simply to “be in the lineup every day.”
Torres, in the lineup as the DH, helped his cause to make sure he’s in the lineup on a regular basis by hitting an opposite-field homer in the fourth inning of Thursday’s 5-0 Opening Day win over San Francisco.
It was a similar pitch to the one on which Logan Webb got Torres to ground to shortstop earlier in the game, and Webb credited Torres with making the adjustment by the next at-bat.
Torres, whose name has been involved in trade rumors since at least last year’s trade deadline, showed why the Yankees have held onto him.
“He looked really good,’’ Aaron Boone said, noting Torres’ “easy swing” on the home run.
“He’s capable of hitting the ball with authority over there [the other way],’’ Boone said. “And who he did it off is as tough a customer as there is at getting the ball in the air against.”
Webb had the fourth-lowest home run percentage in the majors last season — allowing just 11 in 192 ¹/₃ innings.
The Yankees got the right-hander for a pair on Thursday, with Aaron Judge picking up where he left off last season by hitting one out to center in the bottom of the first.
Boone was also impressed by the walk Torres worked to lead off the bottom of the seventh.
But that doesn’t change the math the Yankees must do, with LeMahieu also in line to play second base — when he’s not filling in for Donaldson at third.
LeMahieu started Thursday at second base and Donaldson was at third.
The Yankees also have Oswaldo Cabrera — who can also play the infield, although he started in left field Thursday — on the roster and Oswald Peraza at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a strong showing down the stretch and into the playoffs last year at shortstop.