Greg Bird is down with yet another injury to his right foot. The same foot that took away most of his 2017 campaign.
Update on Greg Bird: pic.twitter.com/z3kkOeIsee
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 26, 2018
This latest injury to Greg Bird the Yankees will now be turning to in-house solution Tyler Austin to be the everyday Yankees starting First Baseman. With yet another injury to the “First Baseman of the Future” Yankee fans get a sense of deja vú twice over. Not only have we seen this movie before from Greg himself but it is eerily reminiscent of another first baseman in the Yankees farm system that was said to have an incredible bat Nick Johnson.
The Yankees and their fans are hopeful for a speedy recovery from Bird and a return to the Greg Bird we all expect him to be. Bird was projected to hit somewhere between the three monster right handed hitters in the Yankees lineup. Now the first base job will go to Tyler Austin.
Tyler Austin has been told by Boone he’s made the club. Austin: “Hopefully it doesn’t take Bird too long to get back up here because he’s a big part of this team.”
— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) March 26, 2018
And new Yankees manager Aaron Boone had this to say about Tyler
Aaron Boone: 'We feel like Tyler Austin is ready for this opportunity, he was just blocked by Greg Bird.''
Will mix/match with Austin-Walker at 1B; sounding like both will be in the lineup (Walker at 2B) on opening day vs. Happ at Toronto.— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) March 26, 2018
Austin has been having a very good Spring with 4 homeruns and a very solid OPS of .865. Tyler Austin how has himself been quite injury prone in the past will look to take advantage of this opportunity.
We'll take that one to go. 👏 @T1721Austin pic.twitter.com/wRvFxLrqgM
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 13, 2018
Tyler will have the chance to prove he is ready to be a everyday healthy contributor on a championship caliber team this coming Thursday in Toronto against the Blue Jays. That game will have a pre-game ceremony honoring the late great Roy Halladay followed by the Opening Day of the Major League season. The Yankees and Tyler Austin will look to capitalize and start making their way to their 28th championship in franchise history.
Bird is schedule for surgery today with Dr. O’Malley and praying all goes well the 6-8 week time frame for rehab will place Bird on a course for a potential return in mid to late May or early June. That gives Bird plenty of time to get his swing ready, and it gives the Yankees the opportunity to “Acquire” and Allstar caliber player ahead of the July 31st trade deadline.
