How will the Yankees replace Greg Bird at first base?
With the Yankees announcing Monday a six- to eight-week recovery period for first baseman Greg Bird, who's undergoing foot surgery Tuesday, the team has the certainty -- and, it hopes, the sense of finality -- that was so elusive when Bird first started feeling pained over the weekend.
The worry, for now, is behind them. nfl jerseys cheap china The path forward without Bird looks clear. So, who's on first now?
"This time of year," general manager Brian Cashman said, "you go with what you got."
Translation: The Yankees' plan to replace Bird for the foreseeable future rests with the players currently on their roster.
Beginning Opening Day, expect some combination of 10-year veteran Neil Walker and 26-year-old Tyler Austin to play first base until Bird returns.
"I feel like I'm really prepared," Austin said. "I've gotten out and gotten early work every single day. Whether I was in Double-A in 2016, even when I got called up to Triple-A, and then last year, even when I was healthy, I was out just about every day; especially at home, getting early ground balls."
Austin has spent 51 games with the major league club the past two seasons, batting .236 with seven home runs and a .741 OPS. He has spent more than half those games playing first base.
"His strike-zone discipline is pretty good," said Boone, acknowledging that he felt Austin hit better than his average indicated. "We'll leverage some matchups that will play in his favor, and his power could come into play.wholesale nfl jerseys I'm confident we have a chance to have a good player on the days he's in there."
Currently, Austin appears the early favorite to get the most chances to play first with Bird shelved.
"We're certainly going to miss Greg, but we feel good about what we can do from a matchup standpoint with these guys," Boone said. "We feel like Tyler Austin is ready for this opportunity. He was just blocked by Greg Bird."
