Yankees first baseman Greg Bird went on the disabled list in early May with a bruised right ankle and began a minor league rehab assignment earlier this month. Unfortunately, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that Bird suffered a setback in his rehab when he fouled a ball off of his right leg, causing renewed swelling, Newsday’s Erik Boland reports.
Bird, 24, impressed in spring training, batting .451 with eight home runs and 15 RBI in 51 at-bats. At the end of spring training, though, he fouled a ball off of his right foot, which impacted his effectiveness during the regular season. From the start of the season through May 1, Bird hit a paltry .100/.250/.200 in 72 trips to the plate.
Chris Carter has handled first base while Bird has been out, but he hasn’t hit much, compiling a .207/.298/.371 triple-slash line over 161 plate appearances.
