Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday that while service-time considerations won't be a factor in Torres (elbow) potentially breaking spring camp with the big club, it's "more likely" the 21-year-old will require additional time in the minors, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Even after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery on his left elbow last June, Torres remains one of the top position prospects in baseball heading into 2018. The Yankees' offseason trade that sent Starlin Castro to the Marlins creates an opening in the middle infield, with the organization likely earmarking second base for Torres once he's sufficiently healthy and gets some at-bats under his belt. If Torres opens the season on the disabled list or is assigned to Triple-A Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade would be the top in-house candidates to see time at the keystone for the big club.