Yankees' Tyler Austin: To start Opening Day

Austin will bat ninth and play first base Thursday against the Blue Jays, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com reports.

With Greg Bird (foot) on the shelf for six-to-eight weeks, Austin made the Yankees' Opening Day roster and could earn a decent amount of playing time. The right-handed hitter will likely start at first against most lefties, like the Blue Jays' J.A. Happ on Thursday. The left-handed Tyler Wade will likely start at second base against most righties, while the switch-hitting Neil Walker moves between second and first. Batting ninth will limit Austin's total plate appearances, though when he gets on base, he'll have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hitting just a few spots behind him, which should help pad his runs scored total.