The Yankees announced Monday afternoon the first baseman will undergo surgery Tuesday to “remove a small broken spur on the outside aspect of his right ankle.”
The club said Bird, 25, is expected to rehab for 6-8 weeks before being ready to return.
The surgery will be performed by orthopedic specialist, Dr. Martin O’Malley, at the Hospital for Special Surgery. O’Malley performed surgery on Bird’s same foot last season.
By all accounts Bird, though he struggled at the plate all spring, was healthy. But he complained of discomfort in the foot after Friday’s game against Boston in Tampa, then after taking BP on Saturday morning in Kissimmee, was a last-minute scratch for that afternoon’s game against the Braves when he felt soreness.
“Each week we'll know a little bit more,” Boone replied when asked about Bird's eventual return. “Does that mean he's playing in a rehab game in six weeks? We'll just see how it progresses. I think we feel pretty good that the surgery is fairly minor, and that they're going to go in and correct the problem.
“Hopefully this is something that he can put behind him for good.”
Bird has appeared in just 94 games over the last three seasons due to injuries. In 2016, it was a shoulder injury which cost him the entire year. In 2017, it was a foul ball that he blasted off his ankle during the final game of the spring, which later led to surgery in mid-July.
The Yankees had brought Adam Lind into camp as an insurance policy for Bird, but they let him go when they inked Walker to a one-year, $4 million deal – which is already proving pivotal. Lind remains without a job at this point.
Tyler Wade could see more time at second as a result of Bird's injury – with Gleyber Torres waiting in the wings – while Miguel Andujar will also be baptized at first in the minors, an experiment that becomes even more important given the latest news.
