Yankees’ Greg Bird ready for rehab games, still on target for May return

Yankees first baseman is recovering from March right ankle surgery.

NEW YORK — Yankees first baseman Greg Bird’s slow and steady recovery from March ankle surgery is churning toward the finish line.

If things continue to go well, the lefty-swinging slugger likely will fulfill his goal of making his season debut before June 1.

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Bird played in an extended spring training game for the third day in a row Wednesday in Tampa and was feeling so good afterward that he’s been cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment.

His first game will be Thursday for the high A Tampa Tarpons.

Bird homered in a rehab game on Tuesday.

“He felt it’s the best he’s felt,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

Bird likely will play a few Florida State League games for Tampa, then be assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to finish out his rehab assignment.

The Yankees are optimistic that Bird will be ready to come off the disabled list later this month.

“Once he starts the rehab process I would think (it’ll last) 10-to-20 days kind of depending on how it goes,” Boone said. “I think one of the good things for Greg is that he basically had a full spring training, so that being said we’ve obviously got to build him up to where he’s playing nine innings to where he’s playing nine innings back-to-back and bouncing back.”

Bird spent half of the last season on the DL due to a late spring right ankle injury that led to July surgery. He returned for the final six weeks of the regular season and the playoffs, but he experienced more soreness during 2018 spring training and it led to another surgery on March 27 to remove a broken bone spur.

At the time of his surgery, Bird was expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks and he’s still on timeframe.

“We’re very optimistic as far as where he is in his return and feel like we’re starting to see the light at the end there,” Boone said.

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