Bird set to land in Bronx; Yanks may need catchers

Finally, at long last, Greg Bird is returning to the Yankees. The first baseman, who hasn’t played since May 21 because of a lingering ankle bruise, is set to rejoin the big league club ahead of Saturday’s afternoon game against the Mariners, Triple-A manager Al Pedrique confirmed to the Scranton TimesTribune Friday night.

Joe Girardi wouldn’t confirm the move himself after the Yankees fell to Seattle, 2-1, at the Stadium, saying, “Find out tomorrow” when asked about Pedrique’s comments. But the Yankees did option first baseman Tyler Austin to TripleA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre late Friday night, presumably clearing space for Bird on the 25-man roster.

Bird has been on a tear over the past 10 days while playing rehab games for the RailRiders. In nine contests, he posted a .423 average with three home runs and six RBI.

Bird will be the second injured Yankee to be activated in as many days. The Bombers reinstated second baseman Starlin Castro from the 10-day disabled list Friday ahead of their series opener against the Mariners. Utility man Tyler Wade was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to make room on the roster.

Castro started at second base and hit sixth for the series opener against Seattle. He went 1-for-5 with a double.

Castro hadn’t played since June 21 because of a right hamstring strain. He first suffered the injury in late June and missed 13 games before returning after the All-Star break. But he only lasted a week before re-injuring the hamstring and landing back on the DL.

When on the field, Castro has been one of the Yankees’ best hitters this season, posting a .307 average with 12 homers, 45 RBI and a .816 OPS.

“Hopefully I’m really back,” Castro said after Friday’s game. “I’m going to enjoy my team for the rest of the season and we’ll continue to play hard and try to make the playoffs.”