Bird belts homer in return from back woes

Greg Bird started for the first time since being scratched with back tightness prior to Monday’s game and he homered Friday in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 8-2 win over Baltimore.

It was Bird’s first extrabase hit since he homered in back-to-back games on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.

“It was good to be out there again,” said Bird, who has been hobbled by injuries for much of his major league career, from the shoulder surgery that cost him 2016 to the bone bruise in his right ankle that side- lined him for much of this season.

And so the back spasms that occurred earlier in the week were another disturbing sign.

“I was fine, no problems,’’ Bird said. “I just have to keep working and stay on top of everything. I have a routine now.”

He also showed some solid defense Friday, making a nice play on a double play in the second and then ranging to his left and firing to pitcher Luis Severino at first on an Austin Hays grounder in the third.

The Yankees will rely much more on Bird’s bat than his glove and he’ll have to show he’s able to be productive and healthy the rest of the way.

“There’s definitely time for that,” Bird said. “There’s a lot of baseball left.”

➤ Bird returned, but Todd Frazier sat after he began experiencing back stiffness late in Thursday’s win.

Joe Girardi held Frazier out “so it doesn’t get any worse. ... He’s had back issues in the past.”

No tests were scheduled for Frazier, who was replaced at third base by Chase Headley.

➤ Aaron Judge’s resurgence at the plate has put him back at the forefront of the AL MVP discussion.

“I think you’re gonna have to look at his numbers and I think he’s gonna have to be considered,’’ Girardi said before Judge walked twice and stole a base.

Judge leads the American League in homers with 43, runs with 114, slugging percentage (.587) and on-base percentage (.413).