Yankees' Bird out for season with torn labrum

Greg Bird, who impressed last summer during his inaugural stint with the New York Yankees, will have to wait until 2017 for his next at-bat in the Bronx, as the 23-year-old will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right labrum and will miss the entire 2016 campaign, the team announced.

Bird, a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, battled discomfort in his shoulder in May before being promoted to the big leagues in August, and was diagnosed with a torn labrum after the irritation resurfaced this offseason. His surgery will be performed by David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The shoulder problems didn't seem to affect the young first baseman during his auspicious seven-week stint with the Yankees, though, as Bird smacked 11 homers with an .871 OPS (138 OPS+) in 46 games down the stretch while Mark Teixeira dealt with a right leg fracture. Among rookies with at least 150 plate appearances, Bird finished second in both isolated power (.268) and weighted runs created plus (137), while leading the group in hard-hit ball rate (44.8 percent).

Still, despite Bird's strong first impression, the Yankees weren't planning to carry him on the 25-man roster in 2016, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, with Teixeira once again slated for everyday duties at first base in the final year of his contract and Alex Rodriguez entrenched in the DH spot. Had Teixeira or Rodriguez gotten hurt, however, Bird likely would've been the first option to replace either player on the active roster.