Grayson Byrd’s first game back didn’t exactly go as planned.
In a doubleheader Tuesday against the Keene Swamp Bats at Alumni Field, with the Nighthawks looking for a late-season spark following the NECBL All-Star break, Byrd — inserted into the lineup at shortstop — committed two errors and was 1-for-6 at the plate with two strikeouts.
The errors, wild throws to first base that sailed over Upper Valley first baseman Charlie Concannon’s hands, cost the Nighthawks in game one, an 8-7 loss in extra innings.
The appearance came days after returning to the Upper Valley for the first time in four weeks. Byrd, who started the summer with the Nighthawks, went home after just four games with a nagging back injury without registering a hit.
But despite his struggles at the plate and his injury, Byrd decided it was best to come back. He needs the repetitions. He needs the at-bats. Most of all, he needs to get back into the swing of things.
“Not playing this spring, I needed to get some at-bats and stuff,” Byrd said on Friday. “I’m a baseball player. I wanted to play. The moment I could get back up here, and I felt good enough to, I jumped on a plane.”
Byrd, a Milton, Ga., native, sat out this past spring due to NCAA transfer rules, the sophomore infielder having moved to Clemson University from LSU. The Nighthawks, at least in the beginning, were a chance for Byrd to get back into baseball, find his timing, settle into his game. The road back has certainly not been easy.
“The more I get out there, the more comfortable I am. Coming off of a three-week rest and rehab has helped,” he said. “On Tuesday, I was confident; just made two bad throws. It cost our team the game, but every time I get there, I get out there I just try to help the team win.”
Still, Byrd’s second go-around has already been better than his first. On Friday, Byrd broke through, making the start at second base for Austin Embler. He was 1-for-2 with a run scored, and had three assists and five putouts in the field.
“It’s definitely big,” Byrd said of his opportunity with the Nighthawks. “As a hitter, if you don’t see live at-bats for even a couple of months, like I did this spring, it’s tough. Getting back up here, seeing some pitching and even just getting back into a routine is big for me.”
The Nighthawks still have a problem with infield depth, something Byrd’s return addresses. The raw talent is certainly there.
Byrd was selected in the 39th round (1,183rd overall) in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, and he is the son of former MLB pitcher Paul Byrd, who played for eight teams (including the Boston Red Sox) between 1995 and 2009.
Upper Valley just hopes that Byrd can find his game as the team tries desperately to qualify for a playoff berth in its inaugural season.
“It’s getting there,” Byrd said of his back. “It’s still not 100 percent, but it’s feeling a little bit better. I’m just trying to get some at-bats and grind through it.”