Yankees top prospect Gleyber Torres to undergo Tommy John surgery

Because of injury, New York Yankees top prospect Gleyber Torres’ major league debut will have to wait until 2018.

For the New York Yankees, the worst possible news has come out of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankees top prospect Gleyber Torres will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2017 season, per the Yankees’ public relations department. The injury was sustained Saturday night as he was sliding into home plate.

Torres, 20, was off to an impressive start in Triple-A. Through 23 games, the 6’1″ infielder was batting .309 with two home runs, 16 RBI and a .368 mark with RISP.

An international free agent in 2013, the Venezuelan native was dealt to New York from the Chicago Cubs for Aroldis Chapman last season. He began this season with Double-A Trenton before graduating with a .273 average, five home runs and 18 RBI in 32 games.

To many, Torres is considered the future at shortstop in the Bronx. His plate discipline has continued to mature, specifically this year with the RailRiders — he walked 16 times in 96 International League plate appearances. Also, his power has increased as he was on pace to surpass career highs in home runs (11) and RBI (66).

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Next: MLB Draft Wrap-Up By Day and Team

As this injury is an obvious setback, the Yankees are confident he will be ready for Spring Training next year in Tampa. From there, he should continue his rise through the system as a 21-year-old with the potential of receiving major league at bats in 2018.