The New York Yankees had nothing but positive things to share on the status of Masahiro Tanaka's right elbow Monday. Speaking to reporters, Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild indicated everything has gone according to plan for Tanaka this offseason.
Yankees receive good reports on Masahiro Tanaka’s elbow
The Yankees’ chances in 2015 rest heavily on the right elbow of Masahiro Tanaka.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
“So far, he’s felt good,” Rothschild said Monday. “He’s had a good winter.”
Tanaka was dominant in his rookie season for the Yankees in 2014 but missed more than two months after the club found a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last July. Such an injury often leads to Tommy John surgery, though the Yankees decided to have Tanaka rest and rehab the tear rather than go under the knife. The right-hander returned for two starts in September and couldn't escape the second inning in his final outing against the Red Sox.
“The last start [against Boston] he didn’t pitch well, but he didn’t feel bad.” Rothschild said. “We’ve got to manage a few guys in spring training and try and get them through healthy, and he’s one of them.”
Prior to the injury, Tanaka was one of the bright spots of a non-playoff season for the Yankees, posting a 2.51 ERA in his first 18 starts with 135 strikeouts and just 19 walks; he finished with a 2.77 ERA overall. Perhaps most telling, the Yankees went 14-6 in Tanaka’s 20 starts and just 70-72 in all other contests.
Coming off back-to-back seasons of missing the postseason, it goes without saying that Tanaka is an essential part of the team's hopes to play in October once again. However, the team's rotation is full of question marks. Beyond Tanaka, Michael Pineda is the only returning starter to have much success in 2014, and he hasn't stayed healthy for a full season since the 2011 campaign. C.C. Sabathia is coming off season-ending knee surgery and is 34 years old. Ivan Nova, meanwhile, is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won't be healthy until June.
That leaves a lot of potential for headache next season in the Bronx, though how you view the Yankees' outlook largely depends on Tanaka's health. On one hand, the Yankees do have the right ingredients for a solid rotation if Tanaka's elbow holds up, Pineda continues his success and newcomer Nathan Eovaldi joins a healthy Sabathia and Nova. But another scenario, in which Tanaka, Pineda and Sabathia all struggle to stay on the field, is equally as plausible.
For now, the Yankees can take solace in the fact Tanaka has yet to experience any setbacks.
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