MLB

Masahiro Tanaka ‘absolutely’ thinks elbow injury is behind him

All that remains in the mind of Masahiro Tanaka is rebuilding arm strength. If it were up to Tanaka, the Yankees would stamp “Healed” on his forehead and just count the days until he pitches again.
Fortunately, such decisions are not up to the individual.

Tanaka, who last pitched July 8, believes he is healthy after a 35-pitch session Wednesday when he worked in breaking balls and splitters for the first time since his injury. Tanaka was put on the disabled list with a slight tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow July 9.

And his first re-acquaintance with breaking balls left Tanaka feeling fine, granted a little rusty, but definitely wanting more.

“Absolutely,” Tanaka said through a translator when asked if he felt the health issue is behind him. “I feel that I’ve gotten the health to the point where the elbow is fine now. I’m more looking toward playing in a game now. But even with that said, I do have to be cautious about the elbow.”

Hence, the gradual build-up. When will he throw again?

“I don’t have a time frame,” manager Joe Girardi said of Tanaka’s return before the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Astros at the Stadium. “We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. … The fact that he felt good today was encouraging. We’ll see how he feels [Thursday]. That’s important.”

Tanaka, who signed a seven-year, $155 million deal with the Yankees in the offseason, was 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA when he was shut down. He threw 25 pitches — all fastballs — off a mound on Saturday for the first time since receiving PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections three weeks ago. Now with breaking balls added to his comeback repertoire, everybody seemed upbeat.

After throwing Wednesday, Tanaka didn’t even wait for his interpreter to translate before answering the first “how do you feel?” question.

AP

“Good,” he said emphatically, ending the non-translator session.

Nevertheless, despite the pitcher’s enthusiasm, the Yankees’ brass carries an appropriate level of concern.

“We have to. That’s our job,” Girardi said. “So far so good. Every step has been positive. Hope that’s the way it continues to go. Each step increases the intensity.”

The next step for Tanaka will be throwing batting practice, though Girardi seemed unsure if another bullpen session was warranted. And before Tanaka actually can return to the Yankees’ decimated rotation, the team wants him to pitch in a simulated game and at least one rehab game. A minor league start would be nice, but the minor league schedules are winding down.

“I’m sure they could figure something out,” Girardi said.

Though the achy elbow of Carlos Beltran caused appropriate worry in the Yankee Universe, Tanaka’s elbow situation was met with relief. The Yankees rotation situation this season has been about one more injury away from qualifying for federal telethon status. Ivan Nova (UCL) and CC Sabathia (knee) were lost for the season. David Phelps (elbow) is currently on the DL with Tanaka. Michael Pineda (shoulder) was recently paroled from the DL after missing 87 games.

So yeah, a positive report on Tanaka was welcomed.

“Pretty much everything, including breaking balls,” was Tanaka’s response to what he threw.

“It went well, but it was actually my first time throwing breaking balls, something besides fastballs in the bullpen so I feel I was a little bit rusty. I’m going to have to try to brush that up a little bit from here on,” Tanaka said.

“The arm is fine,” Tanaka reiterated so now is merely a matter of building strength and eliminating rust.

“Yes, I definitely think so,” said Tanaka who added he had no time frame for when he will throw again and there are no plans for another MRI exam.

“In this type of injury, it’s either going to work or it’s not going to work. It’s not something like we’re waiting for inflammation to go away,” Girardi said.

— Additional reporting by Dan Martin