Yankees option Deadline acquisition Jake Bird to Triple-A
This browser does not support the video element.
ARLINGTON -- The Yankees optioned right-handed reliever Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, just five days after acquiring him from the Rockies ahead of the Trade Deadline.
Bird has allowed seven runs (six earned) in his first two innings with New York, spanning three appearances. He served up a grand slam to the Marlins’ Kyle Stowers in his Yankees debut on Friday as part of a stunning 13-12 loss.
On Monday, Bird took the loss against the Rangers after giving up a three-run, walk-off homer to Josh Jung. It was New York’s fourth straight defeat.
Bird had a demanding workload with the Rockies before the Yankees acquired him; the righty made 45 appearances for Colorado this season, posting a 4.73 ERA over 53 1/3 innings. All told, his 55 1/3 innings of work was the seventh most in the Majors entering Tuesday among relievers -- and his performance has deteriorated of late, with a 24.43 ERA (19 ER in 7 IP) over his past 10 appearances.
Manager Aaron Boone hopes the demotion to the Minors will give Bird a chance to regain his early-season form.
“We still think really highly of him, and think he's not only going to help us this year in the short term, but certainly in the long term, too,” Boone said. “So hopefully, this is something that does give him that little bit of a reset, get him more kind of structured outings and things like that.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Bird’s struggles with the Yankees are a microcosm of how their bullpen has struggled for an extended period. That group has recorded a 6.75 ERA this month and a 6.13 ERA since the beginning of July, which is the second-worst mark in the Majors, better only than the Rockies’ 7.24 bullpen ERA.
The Yankees were still in first place at the beginning of July. Now they sit in third, 5 1/2 games back of the Blue Jays. New York’s record since July 1 is 12-17, a .414 win percentage that's tied for seventh lowest in MLB.
Bird’s demotion was part of a flurry of roster moves by the Yankees on Tuesday, which included Aaron Judge and Mark Leiter Jr. being activated and another Deadline addition, Austin Slater, going on the IL with a left hamstring strain.