The NY Yankees are set to call up prospect Greg Bird from Triple-A to help back up Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez on the upcoming schedule, as the team will play 16 straight games without getting an off day.
According to Jack Curry at the YES Network, Bird is getting promoted to the majors this week after being a fifth round pick in the 2011 draft. Bird is a first base prospect for the Yankees and he comes in after hitting .301 with six home runs in 34 games while playing with Triple-A Scranton. Bird previously played at Double-A Trenton before heading up to Triple-A and he put up an .804 OPS while playing on that level.
Curry reports that Bird will be used as a backup at first base for Mark Teixeira and at DH for Alex Rodriguez during the next stretch of games over the next couple weeks. The Yankees have had key contributions from prospects and young players this season and now Bird will come up to help the Yankees deal with this tough schedule. Rodriguez and Teixeira are both having strong seasons, but with 16 games in a row and both players up there in age, this is a move to give manager Joe Girardi some flexibility.
The Yankees just got swept by the Blue Jays last weekend and now they are one game back in the AL East division after being in the lead for most of the summer. The two teams are set to play this weekend in Toronto and that could be the biggest series in years for the Blue Jays. The Yankees have 61 wins on the season, while the Blue Jays have 64 wins. The Jays have one more loss than the Yankees, but three more wins and things will even out as the Yankees play this 16 game stretch.
