New York Yankees: Options to replace Greg Bird at first base

Unfortunately, Greg Bird has been struck with another injury and will miss 6-8 weeks. Who will the New York Yankees deploy at first base in his absence?

A New York Yankees lineup with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and a healthy Greg Bird. Imagine how many home runs that quartet would hit! Well, the Yankees will have to keep imagining that after Bird has gone down with yet another injury.

The injury-prone slugger missed all of 2016 with a torn labrum and missed a majority of the 2017 season with a mysterious ankle injury that doctors couldn’t figure out for the longest time. Bird now has another lower body injury as he’ll undergo surgery to have a bone spur removed from his right ankle. He will have surgery Tuesday and be out 6-8 weeks.

Taking Bird’s bat out of the lineup would not be the end of the world. Let’s be honest, the Yankees will still have plenty of power hitters. It does, however, take a left-handed hitter out of the lineup; the lefty Boone seemed to plan to have split up the right-handed trio of Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez. It’s also disappointing to see a player who’s considered by some to be the best hitter in the organization continually get hurt.

Although the Yankees lineup should score plenty of runs without Bird, they do have to find someone to man the not-so-hot corner. So who will it be? Believe it or not, the Yankees have plenty of first base options. A few have more experience than others, but Boone shouldn’t have too much trouble filling out the lineup card.

Here are the likely and unlikely first base options for the New York Yankees to replace Greg Bird as he misses extended time with his foot injury: