TAMPA — Greg Bird entered spring training behind Luke Voit in the battle for the starting first-base job and embraced the competition.
After two straight seasons of coming back from right ankle surgeries, which limited the left-hand-hitting Bird to a combined 130 games in 2017 and 2018, he is feeling good.
“One hundred percent different, been able to start over and work from the ground up,’’ said Bird, who homered off Masahiro Tanaka in a simulated game Thursday morning. “I didn’t change anything. The last two weeks I have been looking forward to seeing live pitching.