Are Yankees grooming Brandon Drury as insurance for Greg Bird?

Brandon Drury has some experience at first base and he’s started there three times recently for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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PHILADELPHIA — The lineup card made out by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell for Tuesday night’s Triple-A road game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs included an interesting twist.

Brandon Drury was at first base again for his club’s 3-2 International League victory in Allentown, Pa.

This made it twice in five days there for Drury, the Yankees‘ Opening Day starter at third base after being a regular at second last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Drury also started at first for a RailRiders game last week.

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Considering how much Yankees starting first baseman Greg Bird has struggled since returning from March ankle surgery and how backup Neil Walker hasn’t hit much all season … 

Hmmm.

It sure looks like the Yankees are preparing Drury, who has been raking International League pitching, to be an option for them at first just in case.

Not surprisingly, Yankees manager Aaron Boone played this possibility down when he was asked about it before Tuesday’s night’s 6-0 win over the Phillies.

“He’s getting some more first base reps down in Triple-A as well as playing his third,” Boone said. “I think he’s still working at it. He’s getting more and more comfortable. He’s just working through footwork stuff.

“As far as being an option (for the Yankees), I don’t know about that yet. Obviously, he’s playing well. We want him to continue to play well and continue to get the reps that will add to his versatility.”

Drury isn’t completely new to first base. He made 53 starts there in 2012 playing for he low-A Rome Braves and he also played one inning at first in the big leagues for the 2016 Diamondbacks.

This season, Drury has no errors at first in 18 chances over 25 innings.

“It’s not a lot different from playing third, even though you have the balls in the dirt,” Mitchell told DJ Eberle of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. “That’s probably the one part of playing first that’s probably difficult and hard to master right away. But fielding and making throws to second on a double play, he’s looked good. He’s just athletic and moves around the bag real well.

“I have no problem putting him over there and expecting him to field the ball and make outs.”

Boone isn’t surprised Drury has looked good at first.

“He’s a good athlete, so we know he can handle that kind of thing,” the manager said. “But that’s not something that’s on the front burner with us right now. We’re constantly evaluating things, but I wouldn’t say anything is (imminent). He’s getting reps (at first) that would prepare and help him and add to his versality.”

They also could add to Drury’s trade value, and let’s face it, he’s definitely become a chip for the Yankees due to rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar’s emergence as a successful big-league regular as a run-producing hitter and capable defender.

Drury, however, still may be able to be a contributor to the Yankees at first base if Bird and Walker don’t pick up the slack.

Bird was 1 for 2 with an RBI single and a walk in Tuesday’s win, but he’s in a 2-for-22 slump and batting .193 with three homers and five RBI in 27 games, Meantime, Walker is hitless in his last 18 at-bats after grounding out as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday and is batting .189 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 48 games.

Drury, who joined the Yanks in a February trade, is hitting .311 in 45 Triple-A games after going 0-for-5 on Tuesday night. He began the season hitting .217 in eight games with the Yankees before going on the disabled list with blurry vision.

If and when Drury gets recalled by the Yankees, he could play some first, second and third … especially if utility infielder Ronald Torreyes remains in Triple-A.

“With how the game is going with more pitchers on a roster, more versatility with guys that are on the bench I think is really valuable,” Boone said. “(Drury’s) played really well at third down there. Obviously playing second in the past, that versatility is really attractive, especially with players that we really think highly of like Brandon.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.