Yankees lose 1B Greg Bird for season with shoulder injury

Omnisports 07:40 - 01 February 2016

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First baseman Greg Bird will have surgery Tuesday to repair a lingering injury from last year.

New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird will have shoulder surgery on Tuesday and miss the entire 2016 season.

Bird hurt his right shoulder last May while playing in the minors. He had the injury re-evaluated after feeling discomfort again this off-season and was diagnosed with a torn labrum.

The 23-year-old had 11 home runs in 157 at-bats for the Yankees as a rookie last season while filling in for Mark Teixeira.

It would have been difficult for Bird to crack the roster early this season with Teixeira back and Alex Rodriguez taking up the designated hitter spot, but Bird would have been the first player called up after an injury.

Yankees fans had been waiting for big news in a relatively quiet offseason in the Big Apple, but this was not what they had in mind.