ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The next step in the Masahiro Tanaka rehab tour will come this week, when the right-hander will throw breaking balls from a mound.
According to Joe Girardi, Tanaka came through Saturday’s 25-pitch bullpen session healthy enough to take the next step in a program designed to heal the small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow suffered July 8.
“He played catch [Sunday] and he will be scheduled for another bullpen next week,” the Yankees manager said. “I am not sure what day it is. His next bullpen he will start to spin some stuff. He will throw some fastballs and some breaking balls.’’
Tanaka has spun breaking balls from flat ground, but hasn’t thrown his signature split-fingered fastball and, in just his second mound session, is not likely to break it out.
“I am not sure he will throw a split,” Girardi said. “They talked about him spinning some curveballs. I am not sure he will throw a slider or what else he is going to throw.”
Girardi was encouraged Tanaka came through Saturday’s exercise without a problem.
“That he played long toss tells me he feels good,’’ Girardi said. “He continues to move forward.’’
Catcher Brian McCann was activated from the seven-day concussion disabled list Sunday and started against Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson.
“It makes [the lineup] deeper and [he’s] obviously a guy who has power,’’ Girardi said of McCann’s return. “It’s really good to put him back there because whenever someone goes through something like he went through you are always concerned but he feels good.’’
McCann went 0-for-4 and struck out.
“It was good to see pitching,’’ McCann said. “I am blessed to have the body rested.’’
Until Sunday, McCann hadn’t played since Aug. 8, when got hit in the mask with a foul tip and was diagnosed with a slight concussion.
Catcher Austin Romine was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for McCann on the 25-man roster.
Girardi used Derek Jeter as the designated hitter for a second straight game, but said it didn’t have anything to do with Jeter fouling a ball off his left calf in his first at-bat Saturday night.
“I had a chance to do it. Turf can be rough on people and we are in a long stretch so I just chose to do it that way,’’ said Girardi, who used Stephen Drew at short and started Carlos Beltran in right field for a second straight game.
Girardi said he will still find time for Beltran to DH, which would mean Martin Prado still will play right field at times.
Jeter went 1-for-5 and kept a crucial three-run fifth inning rally alive with a single.
Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury are mired in deep funks. Beltran went 0-for-3 with a walk and is 1-for-26. Ellsbury, who drove in a run with a single in the fifth, is 1-for-20.
Mark Teixeira hit his 20th homer and is the first Yankee to do that this season. This is the latest in a season the Yankees went without a 20-homer man since 1995, when Paul O’Neill hit his 20th on Sept. 12, and the latest in a non-strike year since Matt Nokes homered for the 20th time on Sept. 6, 1992.
The Yankees’ 40-27 record in games decided by two runs or fewer is the best in the majors.