How Gleyber Torres reacted to Yankees’ bombshell facial hair policy change

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Gleyber Torres took some convincing to believe the Yankees’ facial hair policy reversal.

The former Bronx Bombers second baseman reportedly wasn’t sure if he was being pranked when he found out about the rule change from a group of reporters on Friday.

“We just showed this to Gleyber Torres,” MLive Media Group reporter Evan Woodbury wrote on X. “He didn’t believe us at first, thought it was a joke.”

Torres, who signed with the Tigers in December after seven seasons with the Yankees, showed up to spring training with a full-grown beard for the first time in his big league career. 

“My wife really liked it,” Torres said of his new look, according to The Athletic. “My family really liked it. First time I’ve done my beard, and I’m really happy to play with it.”

The two-time All-Star had an up-and-down time in The Bronx filled with highs and lows, a turbulent period that extended even after he had signed in Detroit when a feud between him and general manager Brian Cashman spilled onto social media earlier this month. 

Torres was one of dozens, including actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to react to the news on Friday. 

The franchise will now allow their players and uniformed staff to grow beards — so long as they are “well-groomed” — for the first time in nearly 50 years. 

Hal Steinbrenner said Friday that the move has been years in the making, concluding that the policy was “outdated” and “somewhat unreasonable.”

The rule was instituted by his father, the legendary George Steinbrenner, but Hal’s assured Yankee fans that his the elder Steinbrenner would have wanted it this way. 

“Winning was the most important thing to my father,” Steinbrenner said at a press conference Friday morning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “If somebody came and told him that they were very sure this could affect us getting the players we want to get — all we’re trying to every offseason is put ourselves in the best position to get a player that we’re trying to get.

“If something like this would detract from that or lessen our chances, I don’t know, I think he might be a little more apt to do the change that I did than people think, because it was about winning.”