Greg Bird is inching closer to a return to the big leagues.
The New York Yankees first baseman, who's been shelved since spring training due to a right ankle injury, will begin a rehab assignment with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons on Thursday, according to YES Network's Meredith Marakovits.
Manager Aaron Boone said Bird could return to the big leagues within the next 10-20 days if all goes well during the rehab stint.
"We're starting to see the light at the end (of the tunnel)," Boone said Wednesday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Bird has been dealing with issues in his right foot and ankle since last year - injuries to that foot limited him to just 48 games in 2017 - and he was forced to start this season on the disabled list following surgery to remove a spur in his ankle shortly before Opening Day.
While the Yankees have peeled off a hot streak over the past few weeks without him, Bird has been slowly working himself into game shape. On Tuesday, he launched a home run while playing in an extended spring training contest.
The 25-year-old, who also missed all of 2016 because of a torn labrum, was expected to be the Yankees' starting first baseman in 2018 before this latest ailment. Last year, he hit just .190/.288/.422 with nine homers in 170 plate appearances at the big-league level.
