Written by Andrew Mearns at PinstripeAlley.com
Few prospects have thrilled Yankees fans in recent years quite like first baseman Greg Bird. He stormed through the minor leagues after a breakout 2013, making it all the way to the big leagues by the end of 2015, giving Yankee Stadium crowds a possible glimpse at the future beyond Mark Teixeira by launching a number of dingers into the short porch.
Even though Bird seemed slated to begin next season in Triple-A Scranton due to Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez’s presence on the roster, it seemed inevitable that he would receive plenty of playing time. After all, both Teixeira and A-Rod are veterans with long injury histories and unlikely to both stay healthy all year long.
Little did fans suspect that the first man to fall would be by far the youngest of the three sluggers. As sad as it is to say, Greg Bird will not play a single game for the Yankees in 2016.
As noted by Joel Sherman, Bird missed time in May of last year with a shoulder injury, and he felt pain again there during the off-season. The Yankees’ worst fears were confirmed when it was recently revealed that he had a labrum tear. So he will miss the entire 2016 season.
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