KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Given the choice, Didi Gregorius wouldn’t have been tethered to the bench Sunday for the second straight game. However, the easy-going and slumping shortstop understood the situation.

“I am not the one who makes the lineup, I can’t be disappointed,’’ Gregorius said when asked if he was disappointed about not being in the lineup for a second consecutive game in which the Royals started a left-hander. “I do want to play, but there is not much we can do about it. We talked about it [Saturday].’’

If Gregorius did fill out the lineup card, he might have thought twice about writing his name in because of a 1-for-45 slump he believes is a product of hard-hit balls finding leather instead of holes.

“If I am making good contact hard and making outs, there is nothing I can do about it,’’ said Gregorius, who was the AL Player of the Month for April when he hit an MLB-leading 10 homers and drove in 30 runs.

A younger Gregorius wouldn’t have taken a two-day benching as well as the 28-year-old model.

“You learn from playing all those years. Back then, I know myself, I would have smashed and broke a lot of stuff. Now it’s part of the game and you mature,’’ Gregorius said. “After a good first month and nothing happening the second month, and you guys can look back at everything I said in the beginning, ‘You have to enjoy it while it lasts’ because slumps are going to come.’’

Aaron Boone, who started Ronald Torreyes (3-for-9 in the last two games) at short on Saturday and Sunday, said Gregorius will return to the lineup Monday against the Rangers in Texas where the Yankees will face ancient right-hander Bartolo Colon. However, the manager didn’t commit to reinserting the left-handed hitting Gregorius in the No. 3 spot between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

“I don’t know, we will see where we are roster-wise and match-up wise. See how it plays out,’’ Boone said of Gregorius hitting third, where he has batted 23 times this season.

On Saturday, Boone said it was a “combo’’ day off since Gregorius’ bat was dead and the Royals started lefty Danny Duffy.

“I feel like it’s a good pause for him and kind of take a mental break,’’ Boone said of sitting Gregorius for a second straight game when the Royals started lefty Eric Skoglund. “Maybe a chance for him to recharge, mentally and physically, and hit the ground running when we get to Texas [Monday].’’

If Greg Bird doesn’t suffer a setback, there is a chance the left-handed hitting first baseman will come off the disabled list before the weekend.

“I think it’s reasonable sometime in the next week we will see him,’’ Aaron Boone said of Bird returning from late March ankle surgery. “It’s a matter of bouncing back and getting into the rhythm of playing nine innings.’’

Bird, who recently joined Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has split a rehab assignment between Double-A Trenton and SWB. He didn’t play Sunday. He is 4-for-23 (.174) with a homer and three RBIs in eight games.

Miguel Andujar went 3-for-5 with a triple and homer. That extended his lead among AL rookies in multi-hit games with 14 and extra-base hits with 18. The homer was Andujar’s fourth of the season, his first since April 23 and stopped a homerless streak of 93 at-bats. … The Yankees, 12-3 against lefty starters, will face Rangers lefty Cole Hamels on Tuesday.