BALTIMORE — Masahiro Tanaka entered the Yankees’ clubhouse Wednesday with a big smile on his face and a lot of bounce in the step.
Tanaka had just completed a throwing session that included 10 pitches thrown with more effort than any since the rehab program began. After playing catch with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on Camden Yards left-field grass, in which he started at 60 feet and progressed to 120 feet, Tanaka moved to 60 feet, used a windup and Rothschild got into a catcher’s crouch.
Sticking strictly to throwing fastballs during the 10-pitch exercise, Tanaka didn’t feel any pain in the right elbow that houses a small tear of the ulnar collateral ligament.
“I feel good because everything is progressing the way I wanted to and the team wanted to,’’ Tanaka said.
The move from playing catch to actual pitching — even if it was on flat ground — represented progress in a rehab process the pitcher and team hope can lead to Tanaka avoiding Tommy John surgery. That operation takes 12-to-18 months from which to heal.
“I didn’t feel anything special compared to regular tossing. I think it went well,’’ Tanaka said. “There was no pain at all. It was the hardest I threw.’’
Ten pitches off flat ground is a long way from returning to a big league mound, where Tanaka hasn’t been since July 8 in Cleveland. After that outing, Tanaka informed the Yankees he felt something in the elbow area and was sent to New York for an MRI exam that revealed the small tear.
Nevertheless, returning to the big leagues is front-and-center for Tanaka and the Yankees.
“I think I have a chance if everything progresses the way I want to and we want to,’’ said Tanaka, who missed time in Japan due to injury but said it never was elbow related.
Manager Joe Girardi, who lost 80 percent of his Opening Day rotation to injury before the All-Star Game, is hopeful he gets his ace back like he did Michael Pineda, who allowed just one run in five innings in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Orioles Wednesday night.
“We wouldn’t be going through this if we didn’t expect him to pitch for us,’’ Girardi said of Tanaka, who was 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a serious Cy Young candidate when shut down.
Rothschild said he was encouraged by Tanaka being pain free.
“So far so good,’’ the pitching coach said. “There are no setbacks and we will keep taking it a day at a time. Every day is a significant day he doesn’t have problems.’’
The next step in the progression is Tanaka throwing off a mound, but that won’t happen Thursday or Friday.
“He is off [Thursday] and it won’t be the day after,’’ Rothschild said. “It will be in the next few days if he continues to progress.’’
If Tanaka can get through the bullpen sessions, he will graduate to throwing batting practice. From there it would be some sort of game. And that’s when the Yankees will get a better read on the situation.
“Once you see him in games, whether it’s a rehab game or a regular game, you will have a better idea where he is at,” Girardi said.