MIDDLE MAN
Returning Bird may soon be back in heart of order
Greg Bird is back in The Bronx. And if Saturday’s 6-3 win over Seattle is any indication, it won’t be long until he’s back in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup.
In his first game since going on the disabled list May 2 — missing 103 games because of ankle surgery and a knee injury — Bird started at first base and hit sixth in the lineup. After going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored — and getting thrown out at the plate with a chance to score another — expect to see Bird in the heart of the order sooner rather than later, right in the middle of a pennant race.
“It was just fun to be a part of it, fun to be back in the Stadium and fun to be back with the guys playing. That was a fun one, and keep it going,’’ said Bird, who can’t even explain just how different he feels after last month’s ankle surgery and a lengthy journey back to The Bronx.
“Everywhere, honestly. Moving around, a lot of different ways. And it’s great, really. It’s good now and I’m excited to move forward. I’m excited to move past it and get back out on the field.”
Bird scored on Jacoby Ellsbury’s three-run home run in the fourth inning and added a pair of walks to show his eye and timing are still just fine.
“It was a good day,” Bird said. “I’m just trying to carry over what I’ve been working on. That’s staying patient, having good at-bats. So, I’ll try to keep things simple and keep rolling.”
Joe Girardi was suitably im- pressed with Bird’s at-bats.
“Really good, very patient. Really good eye, which is what we’re used to seeing from Greg,” the manager said. “I think he can have a big impact.”
That’s what counting on.
“If he can swing like he was in spring training and like he did in 2015, he could be a big addition,” Girardi said
From Bird’s major league debut Aug. 13, 2015, through the end of that season, he led the Yankees in homers and was tied for the team lead in RBIs. And after missing last year following shoulder surgery, he led the Grapefruit League in homers with seven this year before fouling a ball off his right ankle near the end of spring training.
Bird tried to play through the injury, but hit just .100 through 19 games before finally going on the disabled list. Taking another foul ball off his knee during a rehab stint scuttled a June comeback attempt, and he eventually needed surgery to remove an extra bone in his ankle last month.
The Yankees see Bird, 24, as the long-term answer at first base. That’s why they opted not to deal for a first baseman at the deadline, and why he’s the most likely to emerge from a first-base logjam.
Tyler Austin got demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and with Todd Frazier’s struggles, Bird could platoon with Chase Headley. But sooner rather than later, expect to see him seize the first-base job and return to the heart of the order.