📰 Headline: “Bronx Silence: Yankees Star Gleyber Torres Breaks Down After Tragic Family Loss Amid Career-High Season”æ
NEW YORK — June 4, 2025
In the midst of a breakout season that had Yankees fans dreaming of October glory, second baseman Gleyber Torres was overcome with emotion Tuesday night as he took the field just hours after learning of the passing of his beloved grandmother, Maria, who raised him in Venezuela.
Torres, 28, had quietly been playing through personal turmoil over the past week, visiting her via Zoom every night from the team hotel. She had been hospitalized due to complications from a stroke. On Tuesday morning, the family received the heartbreaking news that she had passed in her sleep.
The news hit Torres hard — but in a display that stunned teammates and fans alike, he insisted on playing.
“I needed to be out there. She watched every game, even from her hospital bed,” Torres said through tears in the post-game presser. “She always told me, ‘Play for joy. Play for family.’ So I did.”
Torres went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in the Yankees’ 6–4 win over the Red Sox — but his normally electric energy was muted. After the homer, he pointed to the sky, kissed his wrist, and wiped away tears rounding the bases. Yankee Stadium stood in silence until fans began chanting his name.
“None of us knew how he was holding it together,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Gleyber showed us what true heart looks like tonight.”
Torres is expected to travel to Venezuela for the funeral after this week’s homestand. The Yankees have granted him personal leave, though he has yet to decide whether he will miss any games.
In a season already rich with storylines, this one struck the deepest chord — reminding the baseball world that even heroes wear grief beneath
their pinstripes.
