Bird a hit as DH in rehab game

Will the bad blood between the Yankees and Red Sox spill over from Beantown to The Bronx? “You know that’s coming,” Boston catcher Christian Vazquez replied in April when asked if the Bombers would retaliate later

Gon in 2018. “They feel like us, you know? There will be something soon. If not this series, maybe in New York.”

The hated rivals, who will reconvene for a three-game series at the Stadium Tuesday-Thursday, brawled on April 11 at Fenway Park, with Tyler Austin and Joe Kelly getting suspended as

a result. Austin downplayed the possibility of something happening if he faces Kelly again. “I expect it to be a normal at-bat,” Austin told reporters on Sunday. “I don’t expect any more controversy, I should say. So I think it should be business as usual.” Added Aaron Boone: “Red Sox-Yankees: always big. And obviously, they’re a great team, so we understand there will be a lot of excitement around it. We understand all that goes with it from the outside, that there will be more eyes on this one. And that’s what you love about being a part of this.” Let’s review what has happened already: Tensions escalated when Kelly drilled Austin with a 98 mph fastball in the seventh inning, causing Austin to charge the mound, the two of them throwing punches at one another as they went to the ground. Both benches emptied during the melee. Aaron Judge put Kelly in a headlock, while Giancarlo Stanton elected to make peace not war, the two giants moving a pile of lesser-sized players with ease. CC Sabathia shoved a couple IN HIS FIRST extended spring game, Greg Bird served as the DH and went 1-for-3 with two walks on Monday in Clearwater.

Bird, who has been out since undergoing right ankle surgery on March 27, has been operating on a projected return timetable of between six and eight weeks. He is expected to need 10-to-14 days of minor-league rehab games before returns, Aaron Boone has said.

Brandon Drury, out since April 7 due to migraines and blurred vision, is currently rehabbing with Double-A Trenton and will be back “sooner rather than later” according to Brian Cashman.

The GM, though, is not ready to say what the future holds for Drury’s role. Miguel Andujar, who delivered a walk-off single on Friday, has been solid at third, though he’s slowed down a bit recently at the plate after a blazing hot stretch.

Cashman said relievers Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) and Adam Warren (back) are currently throwing on flat-ground and won’t be back of Sox. Austin ultimately did connect with Boston’s third-base coach Carlos Febles’ face. Meanwhile, Alex Cora and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin exchanged words.

There were ejections. There were also fines. Austin received a five-game ban that got reduced to four games upon appeal, while Kelly’s appeal of his six-game ban was upheld.

Seemingly, there were reasons for both sides to be annoyed: Earlier in the game, Brock Holt took exception to Austin sliding into second hard and with his spikes up. But the Red Sox then chose to retaliate not in Austin’s next at-bat, but the one after that.

And during that AB, Kelly delivered the following pitch sequence: breaking ball, fastball in that missed, breaking ball and then fastball in that got Austin, causing Austin to throw down his bat and his helmet in disgust. So what’s next? With the teams battling for first place in the AL East — and just a game separating them in the standings — who knows.

You’d think they’d both want to keep their players healthy and off the suspended list. But it may only take one inside pitch for one party to get mad at the other.

And you do wonder what happens when Sabathia takes the mound on Thursday, given his distain for Boston.

Last year, the big man took exception with the Sox trying to bunt on him. “I don’ give a f--- about their reaction,” Sabathia said. “If they have something to say, then we can meet in center field.”

Sabathia, though, owned the Sox in 2017, going 4-0 with a 1.07 ERA in four starts. So perhaps he’d prefer to inflict his damage on them with his pitches, rather than his fists. within the next seven-to-10 days. Boone has said Kahnle is ahead of Warren in his progress.

PAYS TO PLAY

After throwing four scoreless innings in relief of the injured Jordan Montgomery in Houston, Domingo German did not allow a hit in his first career MLB start on Sunday, striking out nine in six innings. The Bombers acquired the 25-yearold righty in the Nate Eovaldi trade with Miami. He has since had to overcome season-ending Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2015.

“We had him ranked as the No. 1 pitching prospect in (the Marlins’ system),” Brian Cashman said. “He was an important add to the package. They wanted (Martin) Prado and they wanted (David) Phelps so I said if I put Phelps in I’m going to need some pitching back.

“I was proud of him (Sunday) because he had gone through a lot as a young developing player.”

— Mazzeo