Greg Bird to undergo surgery on ankle, out 6-8 weeks

Greg Bird is heading back to the disabled list.  And once again, it won't be a short stint.

According to the Yankees' PR Department, the 25-year-old first baseman, who was slated to be an Opening Day starter, will undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove a small bone spur on the outside of his right ankle. The surgery will be performed by foot specialist Martin O'Malley in New York, and Bird is expected to miss 6-8 weeks before returning to game action. 

On Saturday, Bird was scratched from the Yankees’ split-squad game against the Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. due to soreness in his right foot. The team then conducted an MRI and CT scan, and results revealed inflammation in the foot. On Monday, Bird met with O'Malley in New York for further evaluation, and it appears surgery is the next step in the process. 

According to NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty, manager Aaron Boone could call on righty Tyler Austin to start at first base against Blue Jays’ southpaw starter JA Happ on Thursday afternoon in Toronto. Boone also mentioned that veteran utility infielder Neil Walker could see playing time at the position, although it wouldn’t be a “straight platoon.”

In 18 Grapefruit League games, Bird slashed just .154/.267/.231 with a double, a home run, and four RBI.

Bird has been no stranger to the disabled list in his short playing career. On the final day of spring training last season, he suffered a severe right ankle injury after fouling a ball off his ankle. Although Bird was active for all of April, the injury ultimately required surgery in mid-July, and he was limited to just 48 regular season games. In 2016, Bird missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury.

If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at thanslin@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.