Yankees News: Catcher Gary Sanchez Benched Amid Hitting Slump

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has benched catcher Gary Sanchez as he struggles through a hitting slump. 

"I kind of deliberated on it a lot last night and just feel this is the way I need to go right now," Boone said Sunday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Hopefully a day off or two or however I decide to do it here can help get him going."

Sanchez went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Saturday's loss to the Baltimore Orioles, and he is 3-for-28 over his last nine games. He is hitting .130 overall in 32 appearances in 2020.

The power is still there for Sanchez, who has seven home runs and a double this year. The two-time All-Star had 34 home runs last season and has 112 in his young major league career.

The problem has been the inconsistency, as he only has five singles in 32 games. He has also struck out in 42.1 percent of his plate appearances. It has added up to negative-0.4 wins above replacement in 2020, per Baseball Reference.

Still, Boone believes there are better days ahead for the 27-year-old.

"There are some subtle adjustments that can be made that can hopefully unlock him, and he's got to find that inside," the manager said.

Erik Kratz started for the Yankees at catcher Sunday while Kyle Higashioka can also play the position until the team feels more confident in the starter.

New York has failed to live up to its lofty expectations, entering Sunday 5.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East. The exciting offense ranks just 13th in the majors in runs scored, while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have missed significant time with injuries.

The expanded playoffs give the Yankees better odds to compete for a championship, but they need all their key players to perform at their best if they have any hope of bringing home a World Series title.