NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone held outfielder Joey Gallo out of the starting lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays. He was available to pinch-hit late in the game if necessary.

Gallo has been in a slump since he joined the Yankees in a trade with Rangers on July 29, hitting .130 (16-for-123) with 61 strikeouts in 35 games. His OPS has dropped from .869 to .798. Boone is hoping a day off can clear Gallo’s head.

“Hopefully, [the day off will] reset him a little bit,” Boone said. “I know him, [hitting coach] Marcus [Thames] and [assistant hitting coach] P.J. [Pilittere] were doing a lot of work [in the indoor hitting cage], studying some different things and took some things even out on the field against the velocity machine. Hopefully, just a day for him to kind of catch his breath a little bit.”

Gallo wants to play well for his new team and help it win games. He acknowledges that he is a high-strikeout guy and has never hit for a high average. On the other hand, Gallo is known to take his share of walks and hit home runs. He has six homers for New York, but his on-base percentage is just .291.

“It’s part of baseball. I have to keep working through it, show up every day and figure it out,” Gallo said. “A day off is good every once in a while, especially the stretch we’ve had. We’ve really had a tough schedule, to be honest with you, playing a lot of makeup games, doubleheaders and not having many days off. I think the day off will help.”

Gallo has heard the boos from the fans for not producing in the batter’s box, and he understands why the fans are disappointed in him.

“It is what it is,” Gallo said. “Obviously, playing in New York, you understand that is going to be part of it. They want a winning product. It’s just part of the business. We are professional baseball players. You got to go out there and do your job.”

Boone shows respect for Jeter
Former Yankees great Derek Jeter will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Boone, who played alongside Jeter in 2003, said he enjoyed his presence on the field.

That year, the Yankees went to the World Series, but lost to the Marlins in six games.

“I always looked at him as a great player,” Boone said. “When I got to New York and played alongside him, what I tell people all the time is -- he was better than I thought he was. He is the most confident player I probably ever played with. I might have played with better, more talented players, but no one played the game [with] the fearless confidence that Derek Jeter brought to the field every day and certainly in the biggest moments.”