Bird’s close to getting back in wing of things
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Greg Bird said he’s “very close” to being all the way back.
Bird was moved up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this week and was slated to play Thursday night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as he rehabs an injury he initially suffered at the end of spring training.
“I think I’m really close,” said Bird, on the DL since May 2 with a bruised right ankle. How will he know he’s there? “Some magical sign. Lightning will strike my bat,” Bird said. “No, just the feeling, being consistent. Consistent as in a) the ankle, how I respond, and b) the physical part on the field … I think I’ll just know when I know.”
The Yankees are probably hoping he’s ready sooner than later. With Bird on the DL, Chris Carter had struggled until finally coming to life this week with three hits and 4 RBI Wednesday against Boston.
Theoretically, Bird, 24, could inject even more pep to the Yankees lineup as the youth movement is in full swing, highlighted by Aaron Judge’s breakout performance. Bird was among the Yankees’ most impressive young players in spring training, but the club never enjoyed having a healthy Bird along with the red-hot Judge in the lineup.
Bird had six hits in 60 at-bats to start the season, a slump Brian Cashman indicated may have been connected to the balky ankle.
“I know what I can do,” Bird said. “For me, it’s just about getting right and getting AP back to where I want to be physically, and that’ll take care of it. Baseball is a game of failure. We learn to deal with that from an early age, if you will. Just get back to going out every day and playing and not having to worry about the ankle and getting back to my game.”
Bird has been no stranger to adversity. He missed all of last year with a shoulder injury. Two years ago, he offered a glimpse of a big-hitting first baseman. In 46 games in 2015, he had 11 home runs and 31 RBI as a 22-year-old, but that flash was derailed by a shoulder injury that cost him all of 2016.
Following a hot spring training where he outshined guys like Judge and the Yankees’ other vaunted youngsters, Bird figured heavily as the team’s everyday first baseman this season, plans that were thwarted before the season even started and he fouled a ball off his ankle.
“It is what it is,” Bird said. “We work through things and you just go out and give it your best. Honestly, that’s all I can say about it. It’s frustrating at times, but that’s life, that’s baseball. I guess I got a little taste of it last year, going through the rehab for the shoulder, but I’ll get back to where I want to be and we’ll get right back on track, I really believe that.”
But now he’s close to returning to the Bronx, and he’s as close to 100% as he’s been since spring training.
“I’m anxious,” Bird said. “I’m not going to lie. Spring was great and then a little bump in the road, and that’s part of it. Patience is everything and you learn that going through a year of shoulder surgery, so you just gotta be patient. It’ll all work out.”