For the Bird

Greg Bird received criticism from an anonymous Yankees source:

Much as the Torres and Fowler injuries were downright heartbreaking, the Bird mystery ankle bruise has become merely annoying. Despite numerous tests that have turned up nothing, Bird continues to insist the ankle is still sore — too sore to allow him to play. The Yankee brass has become exasperated with Bird, who’s never been able to stay healthy, and it has gotten to the point where if he doesn’t get back on the field after the All-Star break, they are prepared to move him over the winter.

“You really have to wonder what’s with this guy,” a Yankee insider complained to me earlier this week. “You’d think with Judge and Sanchez, the guys he came up through the system with, doing so well up here he’d want to be a part of this. Apparently not.”

I’m seen some criticism of this statement. Bird and Joe Girardi pushed back against it today:

Yankees manager Joe Girardi backed his player, saying Bird has done everything to try to come back and that only a player can really assess himself. Girardi said that when he was a player, he would have been unhappy if a team “insider” questioned his desire.

“I don’t think I would be too happy about it,” Girardi said. “Because I think only the players know. I would be a little upset about someone questioning my desire and my integrity.”

On one hand, diagnosis of an injury is not always easy. On the other hand, sometimes people need a push. Bird is seeing another doctor on Monday, maybe that will clear up the situation. As I mentioned before, he might just be another Nick Johnson, always getting hurt and always taking longer than expected to heal.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2tzGbE6