<
>

Yankees sign 1B/OF Lind to minor league deal

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees signed first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind to a minor league deal on Wednesday.

Lind will report to the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, for extended spring training.

Lind also signed a minor league deal with New York on March 2 and was released 12 days later. He hit .200 (3 for 15) in five spring games with the Yankees.

The 34-year-old Lind batted .303 with 14 homers and 59 RBI in 116 games with Washington last season. He is a .272 hitter with 200 homers and 723 RBI in 12 years in the majors.

It looked as if Greg Bird was set to take over at first for New York during spring training, but he had right ankle surgery on March 27. Tyler Austin and Neil Walker have been handling the load at first.

The Yankees were off Wednesday, but top prospect Gleyber Torres returned to the field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The infielder went 1 for 2 with a double, two walks and a sacrifice fly in the RailRiders' 6-3 loss to Gwinnett.

Torres had been out since he left Monday night's game with stiffness in the middle of his back. He could be promoted to the majors soon.

Thairo Estrada, another Yankees prospect, also returned to the field with Class A Tampa. The 22-year-old infielder had three hits in the Tarpons' 12-0 victory against Daytona.

Estrada began the season on the disabled list after he was shot in the right thigh area during a robbery attempt in his hometown of Bejuma, Venezuela.