Yankees: Greg Bird’s return helps in many ways

The Yankees are finally getting healthy as Tommy Kahnle rejoined the team Friday night and now Greg Bird on Saturday.

With the inclusion of Greg Bird rejoining the Yankees this weekend, they get a major missing piece back in the lineup: left-handed power.

With Bird rejoining the team in the Bronx, the Yanks optioned fan and team favorite Ronald Torreyes back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. That likely means Neil Walker will platoon at second and third with Gleyber Torres serving as a backup shortstop and Tyler Austin still being utilized at first base.

That’s great news considering Austin has been good thus far against left-handed pitchers, hitting .273/.340/.591. That could give manager Aaron Boone a reason to rest the oft-injured Bird.

Though Bird, too, has shown he can hit lefties, and the good ones too. It was clearly evident with his game-winning home run against Andrew Miller in the Game 3 of the ALDS last fall.

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The return also comes at a time when lefty Didi Gregorius is attempting to get out of a slump following a phenomenal month of April that helped alleviate the absence of Bird’s bat in the middle of the modern-day Murderer’s Row.

The timing is also good considering the team’s other primary left-hander Brett Gardner is in the midst of climbing out of a horrific start to the season in the leadoff spot.

Bird will certainly hit in the middle of the lineup, and it allows Boone to shift some players if needed. Most Yankees fans won’t be disappointed if Gregorius or Gary Sanchez were moved around some, despite the power numbers being present early.

There were already no easy outs for opposing pitchers. Heck, rookie sensation Gleyber Torres has eight home runs out of the No. 9 spot. Needed depth will never hurt.

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The addition of Bird to add another lefty and give the lineup a breather of sorts with all the right-handed sluggers the team has employed is certainly only going to help a great team get even better.