Over the weekend, New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird was removed from a spring training game before taking the field. The reason? More issues with the right ankle that cost him serious time in 2017.
Bird was said to be meeting with specialists to determine the next step. On Monday, the Yankees revealed that "the next step" will be surgery to remove a bone spur. As a result, Bird will miss the next six to eight weeks.
Here's the team release:
1B Greg Bird will undergo surgery tomorrow to remove a small broken spur on the outside aspect of his right ankle. The surgery will be performed by foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Martin O'Malley, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
Bird is expected to rehab for 6-8 weeks before returning to game action. His rehab protocol will commence in New York.
Bird, 25, has had an uneven 348 plate appearances. In 2015, he broke onto the scene by hitting .261/.343/.529 with 11 home runs in 46 games. After missing the entirety of the following season due to shoulder surgery, he resurfaced last year to bat .190/.288/.422 in 48 games.
The Yankees had been counting on Bird to be their most-days first baseman. Now, they have to weigh their other options. Manager Aaron Boone could use Neil Walker at the cold corner most days, opening up second base for Tyler Wade. When a left-hander is on the bump, Boone could turn to Tyler Austin at first, with Walker shifting back to second.
Alternatively, the Yankees could look for an external answer. New York had free agent Adam Lind in camp earlier in the spring. It also stands to reason that a few other first-base types will shake free in the coming days, as teams continue to sort out their rosters.
Whatever the Yankees decide to do, they'll be hoping Bird makes a quick and full recovery.
