BRONX, NY — Gleyber Torres has made a huge impact and difference since his arrival to Detroit last season, signing a one-year/$15 million deal with the Tigers in December of 2024. The 29-year-old native of Caracas, Venezuela, re-signing with the organization this offseason on a one-year contract for $22.5 million, would say it himself how he is off to a tough first half of 2026 with some rough injury luck.
The loss of Torres for the Tigers has been felt, as Detroit stands 14-29 without him this season, compared to 23-20 with him in the lineup.
Last season, Torres helped lead the Tigers to an American League Division Series appearance, marking back to back ALDS trips for Detroit, and this was despite Torres playing with a hernia down the stretch of 2025.
While battling through a hernia down the stretch of 2025, Gleyber Torres remained on the diamond last October, helping the Tigers get to the ALDS – Image Credit: Larry C. Arreguin/Latino Sports
“Everything has been good. I signed (here) last year. We were doing really good things, doing whatever I had to do to help the team win,” Torres told Latino Sports prior to Tuesday night’s matchup between the Tigers and Yankees in the Bronx.
“Hopefully I get healthy soon and do the right thing for the team. I have good relationships here. Unfortunately, this year, I wasn’t able to do much (yet) because I’ve been on the injured list twice.”
Landing on the IL with a left oblique strain back on May 6th, Torres returned to the Tigers lineup on June 2nd, but unfortunately re-aggravated it. The three-time All-Star played in 10 games from June 3rd-June 15th and was placed again on the IL on June 16th due to the same issue.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch shed some light on the situation Tuesday ahead of Detroit defeating the Yankees, 9-3.
“Gleyber is kind of working his way back to baseball activity. He’s not fully swinging yet, which is why we can’t really talk about a return date,” Hinch told Latino Sports of Torres’ current situation on the IL. “He is going to start to do more and more things twice on the trip so that he can be around our coaches and around our trainers as he starts to introduce all the baseball things he’s feeling and throwing. He’s doing a little bit of running, but swinging is next, and then we can start to build him off of the swing volume that would lead him back to games.”
On the field this season, Torres has been solid despite a small sample size with four home runs, 18 RBI, a .282 batting average, and an OPS of .790 in 157 at-bats.
Gleyber Torres has missed a large portion of the first half of the 2026 MLB regular season due to a left oblique strain – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
“It feels good. It’s alright right now. I’m getting there,” said Torres of his injury. “Hopefully, I can come back soon to play a little bit more, and play the best I can in the second half to try to help the team do some good things the rest of the year.”
The former Yankee also reflected on some fond memories in the Bronx, having played seven MLB seasons with them from 2018-2024. This was highlighted by the Yankees’ World Series appearance in 2024 where he compiled two HRs, 14 hits, eight RBI and 10 walks across 14 games in that postseason (ALDS vs. Royals, ALCS vs. Guardians and WS vs. Dodgers).
“I have many, many memories, you know, many years here,” Torres said, winning the AL LatinoMVP Award in 2019 as a Yankee. “I made really good friends, really good teammates.”
Gleyber Torres electrifying Yankee Stadium with a three run homer in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series vs. the Dodgers – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Torres appeared in the postseason six out of seven seasons with the Yankees as well as last year with the Tigers, and in both spots, he’s posted October numbers that are impressive for a player of any age and star-like status—eight home runs, 54 hits, 26 RBI, 28 walks, and an OPS of .779 in 206 career postseason at-bats.
Gleyber’s Heart Goes Out To Venezuela
Prior to the 2026 MLB regular season starting up, Torres had the opportunity of representing his homeland of Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, his second consecutive trip to the WBC with Venezuela as his first came in 2023.
Eugenio Suárez and Gleyber Torres situated on Venezuela’s dugout while supporting Maikel García during his at-bat in the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship vs. Team USA – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And like he had helped the Yankees and Tigers during their respective postseason runs, Torres did the same for Venezuela, contributing to the country securing its first-ever championship title in WBC history on a thrilling 3-2 win over Team USA in the 2026 WBC championship game.
“The WBC was amazing. Winning everything made me really grateful, and it was a really good experience,” Torres said. “Bringing that type of moment to our country was the best.”
At this moment, Venezuela needs as much help and resources as the country can get due to multiple earthquakes tragically striking several cities across the north coast last week, leaving thousands of families and individuals devastated without their loved ones.
“Man, there’s no message I can send,” Torres said of what his country is going through, recently dispatching loaded trucks to Caracas with essential supplies, recovery aid and daily necessities for those in impacted communities.
“The situation is really bad right now. It’s really sad, you know. It’s just hard right now.”
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