Yankees manager Aaron Boone saw Greg Bird handle pitches with force. Now he wants a second glance.
“I feel like last couple weeks [he] has reverted back to what [we] saw first few weeks when he was trying to get rolling, that is lack of explosiveness through the zone,’’ Boone said of the left-handed hitting first baseman, who had ankle surgery in late March and didn’t come off the DL until late May. “When he started heating up, started driving the ball with authority for a few weeks. I thought it was noticeable, that explosion. He is getting a pitch right now, just missing it.’’
Boone said he believes there aren’t any lingering problems from the surgery but also doesn’t, at times, see the strength in Bird’s swing.
“You try to balance a guy coming back from surgery, building stamina, overcome fatigue stuff. I don’t think [he is] injured, but don’t think he’s all the way back to the hitter I believe he is,’’ Boone said of Bird, who started at first base and went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Yankees’ 7-5 win over the Blue Jays. That extended his slump 7-for-53 (.132) slump in his previous 16 games (14 starts). “Nothing’s changed as far as him controlling the zone. He’s as good as anyone at that. When he gets a pitch we have to see that explosion.’’