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’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 opens up a roster spot, which could be taken by team captain Aaron Judge. He is set to be activated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday's game after a 10-day absence due to a flexor strain in his right elbow.
However, Judge might take the roster spot of outfielder Austin Slater – another pre-Deadline acquisition – who suffered a left hamstring injury during Monday’s loss. If that is the case, Bird’s roster spot could go to right-hander Mark Leiter Jr., who is also expected to be activated Tuesday after missing nearly a month with a stress fracture in his left leg.