TORONTO — Life without Greg Bird will be complicated for the Yankees if Thursday’s 6-1 win over the Blue Jays is any indication.
Tyler Austin got the start at first in the season opener, and general manager Brian Cashman said Austin and Neil Walker will split time at the position in Bird’s absence following ankle surgery rather than the team signing another player.
“We’re gonna go with Walker and Austin,” Cashman said before the victory at Rogers Centre. “Austin had a great spring, and Walker turned out to be a more important signing. He was on the board, and we played on it because it gives us insurance on a number of different levels. You never wanted to cash in on that insurance, but unfortunately in Bird’s case, we had to cash in on it even earlier.”
With the Yankees facing left-hander J.A. Happ on Thursday, new manager Aaron Boone went with the right-handed Austin at first.
Against right-handers, Walker could be at first, with lefty-swinging Tyler Wade at second.
Their versatility came in handy Thursday, when Austin was removed after grounding out to end the top of the sixth.
Boone said Austin was fine and they wanted to get Wade’s defense at second in the game with a lead.
Walker moved to first and Wade entered at second, where he made a nice play to his right to get Aledmys Diaz in the eighth.
They could use a similar setup for the foreseeable future, with Bird six to eight weeks away from baseball activity.
“Hopefully we don’t have any more issues,” Cashman said. “If we do, then I might have to start looking for more protection. But right now, I feel good.”
Cashman added he believes Bird’s current injury is unrelated to the ankle surgery the first baseman underwent last season.
“I don’t think one had anything to do with the other,” Cashman said. “We all have stuff floating around our joints, and most of the time, it doesn’t gravitate to an area that causes discomfort. In this case, it did, and because of that, it had to go.”
Cashman said he is confident it won’t be a lingering problem.
“No one’s told me it’s something where they expect he’s gonna have another issue,” Cashman said. “He had a bone spur that had to be taken out. It’s as simple as that.”
In the meantime, it places more important on the signing of Walker last month.
“You never want to get an opportunity because someone gets hurt,” Walker said. “But I knew I would have to play multiple positions regardless of what team I went to. I just want to take advantage of my athleticism.”
Following an offseason filled with uncertainty about where he would end up, Walker likes the spot he’s in now.
“Being here is exactly what I thought it was gonna be,” Walker said of the Yankees. “Very professional. The bar is set very high here. We had high expectations both years I started with the Mets, but we couldn’t stay healthy. Hopefully with this team, we do.”
