Yankees Greg Bird Headed to the DL: Fantasy Impact

By Brad Kelly | May 3, 2017

Apr 2, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird (33) looks on during the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Greg Bird is one of the biggest fantasy disappointments so far this season. The Yankees have now made the move to put him on the DL, so what is the fantasy impact of the news?

One of the perils of being in a speculative business like fantasy sports is that we do not always have the entirety of information when it comes to certain players. Greg Bird was a man possessed this spring and nearly every fantasy outlet had him pegged for a mammoth year for the Yankees. But, what we did not know, was that he had been battling an ankle issue that he suffered during the last week of spring training.

That news would not have scared off every fantasy owner, but it would have been nice to know in terms of tempering some early expectations. Unfortunately, not only did fantasy owners go all in on Bird, they expected him to be a breakout star in 2017. I for one even projected him to hit 30+ HR and clearly, that is not going to happen now.

The bone bruise that Bird tried to play through was to his right ankle. As a lefty hitter, his right ankle would not only be part of his lower half drive towards the ball, but it also serves as his plant leg. With no solid foundation as a hitter, it is impossible to be consistent at the plate. His struggles are evident, over 60 at-bats this season Bird has six hits with only one homer.

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He should be given credit for trying to play through it, but it should also be stated that the Yankees are really hoping this is the only reason he has been so brutal all season. If he can get healthy and get his swing back in AAA or during rehab assignments, this may not be the worst thing to happen to them while they are playing so well.

Greg Bird is not as bad as he has shown this season. He has hit at every level and showed what he could do when healthy this spring and in 2014. He is only 24-years-old and is coming off a shoulder surgery and now the ankle ailment, so there should be some hope that all he needs to be is healthy before we really begin to worry.

The Yankees will likely roll with Chris Carter at first for the majority of the time being. The story on Carter is well-known, he is going to whiff a lot but run into some homers. He is not a recommended add right now, but if he can get on one of his hot streaks, fantasy owners needing power should look his way.

Next: Natioanls Matt Wieters: No.1 Fantasy Catcher?

There was a ton of hype surrounding Bird this season and he has failed to come close to expectations. But, once healthy and when he can get back his timing in the minors, fantasy owners should be willing to give him one more shot this season when he returns. The Yankees have a deep lineup and the stadium is tailored for him, so the potential is still there.

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