Jake Bird’s first five days with the New York Yankees haven’t been good.
The 29-year-old right-hander was sent over from the Colorado Rockies ahead of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline and made his Yankees debut on Friday against the Miami Marlins. Bird allowed four runs on three hits (including a grand slam) in one-third of an inning, as he and fellow deadline acquisitions Camilo Doval and David Bednar imploded in the team’s 13-12 defeat.
The former fifth-round draft pick bounced back with a clean inning on Saturday but struggled again on Monday, surrendering three runs (two earned) on one hit. The knock was a walk-off home run to Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung.
Now, Bird has been sent down to the minors.
“Following last night’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre,” the team posted on X.
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It’s unknown whether Bird’s demotion was primarily due to his recent struggles, as ESPN’s Jorge Castillo noted that fellow reliever Mark Leiter Jr. is slated to be activated off the injured list on Tuesday.
“The Yankees optioned Jake Bird, one of the three relievers they acquired at the deadline, to Triple-A. Bird gave up seven runs (six earned) in three appearances since his trade,” Castillo wrote on X. “That opens a roster spot for Mark Leiter Jr., who is expected to come off the injured list today.”
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Featured image via Jerome Miron/Imagn Images
