PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone says it's too early to know if first baseman Greg Bird will be sidelined opening day Thursday at Toronto because of inflammation in his right foot.Boone said the team should learn Bird's status after he's evaluated Monday by a specialist in New York.Bird was scratched from the starting lineup in a split-squad road game Saturday against Atlanta. Boone said CT and MRI exams showed no structural damage.If the oft-injured Bird needs to go the disabled list, Tyler Austin and Neil Walker could get time at first base.Bird fouled a ball off his right ankle in the Yankees' final spring training game in 2017. He had surgery on the ankle in July and was limited to just 48 games.Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday that the current soreness is in a similar area.Bird hit .190 overall last year but had eight homers and 25 RBIs in 29 games after returning from the disabled list in late August.The 25-year old missed all of... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees first baseman Greg Bird has inflammation in his right foot and will be evaluated by a specialist in New York on Monday.Bird was scratched from the starting lineup in a split-squad road game Saturday against Atlanta. He had an initial examination by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Murphy and later underwent CT and MRI exams."I'm worried about it, to be honest," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said early in the day. "I'm not sure what we're dealing with but Greg, when he can tee it up it's a problem for us. He's a vital member of our organization. Hopefully if he's going to be down, it won't be long."Neil Walker or Tyler Austin could fill in for Bird if he misses any regular-season games. The Yankees open the season Thursday at Toronto.This is the second consecutive year that Bird had a late spring training injury.Bird fouled a ball off his right ankle in the Yankees' final spring training game in 2017. He had surgery on the ankle in July and... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees first baseman Greg Bird was scratched from the starting lineup in a split-squad road game Saturday against Atlanta because of a sore right foot.Bird had an initial examination by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Murphy and was scheduled to undergo both a CT scan and MRI exam."I'm worried about it, to be honest," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "I'm not sure what we're dealing with but Greg, when he can tee it up it's a problem for us. He's a vital member of our organization. Hopefully if he's going to be down, it won't be long."Neil Walker or Tyler Austin could fill in for Bird if he misses any regular-season games. The Yankees open the season Thursday at Toronto.This is the second consecutive year that Bird had a late spring training injury.Bird fouled a ball off his right ankle in the Yankees' final spring training game in 2017. He had surgery on the ankle in July and was limited to just 48 games.Cashman said the current soreness is... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton says he is prepared for the scrutiny he will attract during his first season with the New York Yankees."The good times will be magnified and so will the bad," the slugger said Wednesday. "The fans expect a lot. I expect a lot, too."Stanton won the NL MVP last year after leading the major leaguers with 59 homers and 132 RBIs for the Miami Marlins. He was traded to the Yankees in December by Miami's new ownership group and joined a team that lost to Houston in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.New York opens at Toronto on March 29, then hosts Tampa Bay starting April 2."''It's going to be an exciting new year for me," Stanton said. "It's going to be exciting opening up both places, New York and Toronto."Stanton enjoyed playing in New York while with the Marlins."Baseball is No. 1," Stanton said. "New York is some thing special when you go there. Being in that city is a different feeling — greatest city in the world."Stanton said he understands the Yankees'... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge will earn $622,300 in the major leagues as part of his one-year contract with the New York Yankees.Judge, who led the AL with 52 home runs, is not eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2019 season. He agreed to a split contract in which his salary would drop to $272,250 in the unlikely event he is sent back to the minors.New York uses a scale based on service time for its players not eligible for arbitration.Yankees pitcher Luis Severino will make $604,975 after he went 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA. His agreement calls for a minor league salary of $275,488.New York also reached agreements with first baseman Greg Bird ($582,000/$272,500), pitcher Jordan Montgomery ($580,450/$228,413) and infielder/outfielder Tyler Austin ($558,600/$230,814).With an influx of young players not yet eligible for arbitration, the Yankees are on track to get their payroll under the luxury tax threshold for the first time since the current tax began in 2003.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Neil Walker became the latest free agent to take a big pay cut as opening day approaches, joining the New York Yankees on Monday with a one-year deal for $4 million.The veteran infielder made $17.2 million last season while playing for the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He can earn $1 million in performance bonuses this year.The 32-year-old Walker hit .265 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs last season, then became a free agent. He will likely start at second base, giving prospects Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar more time to mature in the minor leagues."It's certainly a crazy offseason, but more than anything my hope was that I'd land somewhere that's going to be competitive and have a chance to win," Walker said. "I'm happy to be here, happy to be on a contending team."Starting pitcher Lance Lynn got right to work with Minnesota after finalizing his $12 million, one-year deal. He turned down a $17.4 million offer to stay with St. Louis, and looked for a richer contract in free agency.Lynn... [More]

Clayton Kershaw's second spring training outing went according to plan, save for one poor throw to first.The ace left-hander breezed through two scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, allowing one hit and walking one during a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Arizona. He worked a perfect inning in his spring training debut against Seattle on Sunday."Another step. Another inning," Kershaw said. "Definitely things I can do better, but for the most part I'll take it. It was all right. I made some good pitches when I needed to. I made some bad ones, too. Enough to work on for the next one."Leury Garcia dropped a single into left in the first for Chicago's only hit off Kershaw. Garcia raced all the way to third when Kershaw made a wild throw on a pickoff attempt, but Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia grounded out to end the inning."I just tried to be a little too quick," Kershaw said, looking back on his fielding miscue. "I think I might have, it would have been... [More]

Clayton Kershaw's second spring training outing went according to plan, save for one poor throw to first.The ace left-hander breezed through two scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, allowing one hit and walking one during a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Arizona. He worked a perfect inning in his spring training debut against Seattle on Sunday."Another step. Another inning," Kershaw said. "Definitely things I can do better, but for the most part I'll take it. It was all right. I made some good pitches when I needed to. I made some bad ones, too. Enough to work on for the next one."Leury Garcia dropped a single into left in the first for Chicago's only hit off Kershaw. Garcia raced all the way to third when Kershaw made a wild throw on a pickoff attempt, but Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia grounded out to end the inning."I just tried to be a little too quick," Kershaw said, looking back on his fielding miscue. "I think I might have, it would have been... [More]

1B Tyler Austin was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday. Austin, who turns 26 Wednesday, has a .233 average in 10 games with New York this season. He hit .275 in 47 games at Triple-A as injuries have forced him to miss various chunks of time.

1B/OF Tyler Austin was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday when 1B Greg Bird was activated from the disabled list. The move was announced after Friday's game but took effect Saturday. Austin started four games at first base and in two stints with the Yankees, he batted .233 in 10 games.

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird was activated from the disabled list before Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners after missing more than three months with a bruised right ankle.Bird returned to New York's lineup Saturday, batting sixth.The saga of Bird's ankle began late in spring training when he fouled a ball off the ankle. It spoiled an exhibition season where he batted .451 and seemed ready to assume the role of New York's regular first baseman after missing last season recovering from shoulder surgery."It's been a long interesting, unique journey," Bird said. "I'm glad to be back now."Bird never got going and was hitting .100 (6-for-60) with one homer and three RBIs to go along with 22 strikeouts in 19 games. The Yankees decided to place on the disabled list May 2, hoping sufficient rest would cure the ankle.Instead, Bird's first rehab stint in the minors was cut short and he underwent ankle surgery July 18, creating doubts if the 24-year-old would return... [More]

1B/OF Tyler Austin was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre following Friday's game though the move will not take effect until Saturday. Austin was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and in two stints with the Yankees, he is batting .233 (7-for-30) in 10 games.

DH Tyler Austin, just called back from the minors Thursday, hit a three-run homer out of Fenway Park, his second homer of the season, in the second inning, his first career at-bat against Chris Sale. He also sent a drive to straightaway center that was grabbed by a leaping Jackie Bradley Jr. It was the first three-run homer Sale has allowed this season. He is 7-for-13 with both of his career homers and six RBIs in five games against the Red Sox. "He started me off with two changeups and all night I was just looking for fastballs as much as I could," he said. "His breaking pitches are really, really good, so I didn't want to have much of that."

1B Tyler Austin was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Thursday, when he went 2-for-4 in the Yankees' 7-5 win over the Mets. This is the second trip to the majors this season for Austin, who played four games with the Yankees in late June before suffering a right hamstring injury. Following a rehab assignment, he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 11, though he is returning before a 10-day minimum stint at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre because he's taking the place of injured 1B Garrett Cooper (left hamstring). While he started Thursday, Austin is expected to backup IF Chase Headley at first base. Austin is batting .235 with one homer and two RBIs this season for the Yankees.

OF/1B Tyler Austin was activated from the 10-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre Friday. Austin was on the DL since June 29 with a strained right hamstring after appearing in four games for the Yankees at first base. Austin also missed the first two months of the season with a broken foot after batting .241 in 31 games over the final month and a half of last season.

INF Tyler Austin was returned from a rehab assignment, reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Austin, 25, is batting .154 with one home run and two RBIs in four games with the Yankees in 2017.

The New York Yankees placed left-handed starting pitcher CC Sabathia on the 10-day disabled list on Friday (retroactive to Wednesday) with right knee inflammation.Sabathia, 37, underwent an MRI exam on his knee Wednesday in New York, but the test revealed no new damage. The former Cy Young Award winner will miss Sunday's scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox."When you have a guy that has a banged-up knee, you worry that there's more damage," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.In a corresponding move, the Yankees recalled left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Sunday opposite Boston's Chris Sale.New York also returned infielder Tyler Austin from a rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 10-day DL and optioned him to Charlotte.Montgomery, 24, is 7-6 with a 4.05 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 21 starts with the Yankees this season. Austin, 25, is batting .154 with one home run and two RBIs in four games with the big league club in 2017.The Yankees (60-53) enters Friday's series opener against the American League East-leading Red Sox trailing Boston by 4 1/2 games.

The New York Yankees placed left-handed starting pitcher CC Sabathia on the 10-day disabled list on Friday (retroactive to Wednesday) with right knee inflammation.Sabathia, 37, underwent an MRI exam on his knee Wednesday in New York, but the test revealed no new damage. The former Cy Young Award winner will miss Sunday's scheduled start against the Boston Red Sox."When you have a guy that has a banged-up knee, you worry that there's more damage," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.In a corresponding move, the Yankees recalled left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Sunday opposite Boston's Chris Sale.New York also returned infielder Tyler Austin from a rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 10-day DL and optioned him to Charlotte.Montgomery, 24, is 7-6 with a 4.05 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 21 starts with the Yankees this season. Austin, 25, is batting .154 with one home run and two RBIs in four games with the big league club in 2017.The Yankees (60-53) enters Friday's series opener against the American League East-leading Red Sox trailing Boston by 4 1/2 games.

1B Tyler Austin was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was 0-for-2 for the RailRiders Thursday. Austin was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain. He is 2-for-13 (.154) with a homer and two RBIs in four games with the Yankees this season.

1B Tyler Austin (strained right hamstring) has started taking swings off the tee and some activity on the field. He will progress to taking swings in the cage. Though manager Joe Girardi said Austin is progressing well, there is not a timetable for his return. Austin appeared in four games June 24-27 before getting hurt.