New York Yankees first base prospect Greg Bird will miss the 2016 season due to having shoulder surgery. Bird will have the surgery on Tuesday.
According to MLB.com, Bird will have surgery to repair a right shoulder labrum tear, which is a reoccurrence of an injury that Bird suffered in May. Bird informed the Yankees after last season that the shoulder was bothering him again, according to general manager Brian Cashman. He was evaluated at the time but there appeared to be no change in the labrum tear. After the most recent evaluation doctors recommended that Bird have surgery.
"The expectation and hope was that he would be fine," Cashman said. "Once he started having his baseball activities this winter, especially with ramping up in these most recent weeks, the pain returned."
Bird, who turned 23 in November, made his MLB debut last August. He filled in for Mark Teixeira at first base after the veteran suffered a leg fracture that ended his season. In 46 games last year Bird hit .261 with 11 homeruns and 31 RBIs, via ESPN.
The Yankees were planning to have Bird in Triple-A this year with Teixeira expected to return this season. Teixeira is entering the final season of his contract so Bird, who the Yankees say is their future first baseman, could be in the majors in 2017.