The New York Yankees are growing hopeful that first baseman Greg Bird could be back sooner than anticipated following the removal of a coin-sized bone spur from his ankle.
New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird is speeding through the rehab process and the team believes he could be back earlier than expected.
According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, when asked about Bird’s recovery timeline, Aaron Boone had this to say:
“It’s going well. We’re optimistic that it’s maybe going to be on the shorter side of things. But when that is, I’m not exactly sure, but I know he’s moving in the right direction and he’s passed every test so far and the facet he’s doing all these things is a really encouraging sign. I’m excited about his progress and where he is and hopefully being on the shorter side.”
This is exactly what Yankee fans needed to hear. Finally, a conversation about Greg Bird’s health has taken a positive spin! Mark this day down in the history books Yankee fans.
This team needs Bird badly right now. The offense has struggled with inconsistency while plagued with a plethora of injuries to major contributors. The health situation got so bad that at one point fans actually wanted Jacoby Ellsbury to be healthy (Don’t worry, with Aaron Hick’s return from the DL that’s no longer a concern). Bird’s return brings another impact player back into the lineup.
Not only will the return of Bird’s bat spark the offense, but his return to the field will energize the fans. The slow start has Yankee fans frustrated and angry. Giancarlo Stanton, in particular, has become the lightning rod for the disapproval, being showered with boos on his way to a number of strikeouts not suitable to be shared on a family website.
When Bird comes back, whether he excels or struggles, some pressure will be lifted off of Stanton and he’ll receive the breathing room to start fixing his issues at the plate.
In Greg Bird’s case, any progress should be considered fantastic progress. Yankee fans have watched Bird sit on the sidelines for essentially two years with slight glimpses at his incredible hitting ability.
After his playoff success in 2017, including a monster homer off of one of the best relievers in the game, fans were devastated to learn that his foot problems had resurfaced. We prepared ourselves for another year of “Well Greg isn’t quite ready yet” and “Bird suffered another setback” that extended well past the six to eight-week timeline. Maybe even closer to a sixteen to eighteen-week timeline.
Now, Bird’s progress is giving fans hope that the injury problems may finally be behind him. If he joins, and more importantly stays in, that lineup, the Yankees will take another step towards realizing the sky-high potential of their offense.
