Returning to the Yankees' lineup from ankle surgery, 1B Greg Bird was mired in a slump. Bird showed hints of his old self, but mostly, it was a walk back to the dugout after each at-bat.

But Bird showed more than hints of his powerful lefty bat right before the All-Star break, and that has continued since play resumed on Friday. It appears he has turned a corner, with a main sign being his success against lefty Steven Matz on Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the game, manager Aaron Boone didn't know what to expect from Bird as he was 4-for-29 against left-handers. But, with his hot bat, the lefty-lefty matchup favored Bird in the end.

He finished the day with an RBI double and RBI single off Matz, and Bird says everything seems to be back to normal with his approach at the plate.

"I'm feeling better and better," he told The Post's Dan Martin after the game. "It's just a process. Little things come back and you figure out what you need to do to make it happen."

Over his last seven games, Bird has an average just a few ticks under .300 at .296. He is also slugging .630 with two homers and nine RBI as well.

Boone agrees that Bird's at-bats have been great, and his patience has led to results.

"For two or three weeks, he's had quality at-bats and is looking like that threat we know he is in the box," he said. "...It's really encouraging."

Bird will have another test on Sunday night when Mets ace Jacob deGrom takes the Yankee Stadium bump. But he will have the same approach when he steps in the right batter's box, just as he does for every other pitcher.

"I'm being more consistent," Bird said. "I've said it a lot, but I'm getting my swing off consistently. You've got to be able to do it every day, with every pitch. I'm back in a groove over the last couple of weeks. It's exciting."

Having Bird's left-handed bat working each game is crucial for this Yankees team, especially as they try to make a push to the top of the division.

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