What appeared to be inevitable at the first-base position for the New York Yankees became a reality Wednesday when manager Joe Girardi named Greg Bird as the team's starting first baseman, according to ESPN's Andrew Marchand.
The 24-year-old, who missed the entire 2016 season while recovering from labrum surgery, had some competition in camp from power-hitting Chris Carter and Tyler Austin, but his torrid spring slash line of .421/.500/.947 with four home runs has apparently separated him from the pack.
Spring training stats
| PLAYER | AB | HR | RBI | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Bird | 38 | 4 | 6 | 1.447 |
| Chris Carter | 34 | 1 | 3 | .437 |
| Tyler Austin | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Bird is one in a group of promising young players - along with Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge - expected to lead the Yankees' latest regime.
Bird made his major-league debut in 2015, hitting .261/.343/.529 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 46 games before succumbing to shoulder surgery the following offseason.