The spring training Greg Bird needed ends with hiccup, not crusher

TAMPA — When Greg Bird’s name was included in the second group of Friday’s batting practice on Field 2, it was an indication that his right elbow was healthy enough to swing a bat.

Then, standing at his locker before the Yankees hosted the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday evening, Bird said he wasn’t taking batting practice.

The immediate reaction was that his elbow somehow wasn’t ready to go, even though a CT-scan didn’t show any structural damage to the joint after being hit by a pitch Wednesday in West Palm Beach led to his being yanked from the lineup the next day in Jupiter.

Fortunately for Bird and the Yankees, the first baseman reported he will be in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays at GMS Field.

“Not swinging or throwing today, take some grounders and run around,” Bird said. “The plan is to play [Saturday].”

Wearing a short-sleeve shirt, Bird revealed the swelling in the area hadn’t completely subsided, but that progress had been made.

“It’s still there,” said Bird as he compared his right (throwing) arm to his left. “It’s better than yesterday, and yesterday was better than the day before.”

After suffering ankle injuries in the final days of spring training the previous two years that required surgery and slowed his development as a major league player, Bird avoided another costly injury as Opening Day approaches.

Bird believed the pitch hit the protective pad, but that didn’t keep the pain out.

“I think it hit the pad because I heard it and I said, ‘Ooh, that kind of hurts,’ ” said Bird, who will look into a bigger pad. “I felt like it hit the pad. I don’t know. I am glad it’s good.”

Knowing how right shoulder surgery cost him the entire 2016 season and the ankle procedures limited him to a combined 130 games in the following two seasons, Bird was anxious while waiting for the test results.

“Nothing, try not to think anything, that’s it,” Bird said about the time between the test and the outcome.

When camp opened it was very clear the Yankees didn’t have room for two first-base-only players in Luke Voit and Bird. Giancarlo Stanton was going to be the primary designated hitter and play some left field. Then Aaron Hicks’ back started barking. He has received two cortisone injections, and likely won’t come off the injured list when eligible on April 3.

That has opened a roster spot, and there is a good chance Voit and Bird make the team that will face the awful Orioles on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

Bird was second on the depth chart at first base from the minute general manager Brian Cashman said, during the winter, that the job was Voit’s to lose based on what he did last year (.333, 15 homers, 33 RBIs in 39 games).

Each has excelled, and together could provide big numbers from a position that didn’t get much production until Voit was hijacked from the Cardinals last year for Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos and international pool money.

Spring training numbers — good or bad — are often smartly ignored but ultimately play a part in decisions about players. And if the Yankees had to make a choice between Voit and Bird, who both have options but would be crushed to be in Triple-A instead of The Bronx, it would be a very difficult call.

Voit, 28, entered Friday night’s action as the Yankees’ DH hitting .316 (12-for-38) with four homers and 11 RBIs in 14 games. Bird, 27, was at .333 (13-for-39) with three homers and eight RBIs in 17 games.

“It’s been great, I am real happy,” Bird said of his spring. “Real excited to get going.”

And not having a body part being prepped for surgery.

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