Tanaka to play catch

Jalen Bluntson · Post #1 » by **Jalen Bluntson** » Mon Aug 4, 2014 1:12 am

BOSTON -- Monday will be one of the most important days of the season for the New York Yankees playoff hopes, and not just because they're facing defending AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers.

It's because earlier in the day, Masahiro Tanaka, their fallen ace, will test out his injured right elbow for the first time since he received a platelet-rich plasma injection on July 14 in the hope that he could avoid Tommy John surgery for a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. According to a source in the Yankees clubhouse, it has already been decided that Tanaka will play catch on the field at Yankee Stadium.

"He'll definitely throw," the source said. "He's already told the doctors that he feels better."

Masahiro Tanaka
Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports
Masahiro Tanaka will test out his injured right elbow on Monday. The hope is that he will be able to avoid Tommy John surgery for a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.
Joe Girardi, as is his nature, refused to commit to a Tanaka throwing session by saying cryptically, "Catch or no catch. Those are the options."

But he did acknowledge Tanaka had seen the Yankee doctors on Friday and that, barring a setback Monday morning, was likely to pick up a baseball for the first time since July 8, when he was knocked out of a game for the first time in his brief but stellar big league career as he allowed five runs, including two home runs, in 6 2/3 innings against the Indians in Cleveland.

"We'll see tomorrow what everyone wants to do with him, but as we said, three weeks is the mark," Girardi said before Sunday night's game between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. "[He told] his doctor he feels good, so we'll see what we do. We'll get home and talk and decide what we're going to do."

Even if Tanaka's game of catch goes well, Girardi said it was unlikely the Yankees would get him back before September, as previously noted by general manager Brian Cashman. Assuming Tanaka is well enough to begin rehabbing, Girardi said he would probably need less than a full six-week spring training before returning to action.

"I'm not exactly sure how we would do that," Girardi said. "It's not starting all over because he's been built up. But it'll be probably [throwing] 60 feet, and then 60 and 90, and 90 and 120, then flat ground and bullpen and probably a rehab game."

Through his first 14 starts, Tanaka -- who was signed to a seven-year, $155 million contract after going 24-0 for the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese league in 2013 -- was among the best pitchers in baseball, with an 11-1 record, 1.99 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings. But in his next four starts, he went 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA, and his strikeout numbers plummeted to 22 in 27 2/3 innings. He told the Yankees he began feeling pain in his elbow only in his latest start.

If all goes well, the Yankees could have both Tanaka and Michael Pineda, who had an outstanding start to the season before he was suspended for 10 days for using pine tar on the ball in a game against the Red Sox at Fenway on April 23 and then suffered a back muscle strain that has kept him on the disabled list ever since. Pineda started a minor league game on Sunday for the Yankees' AAA Scranton affiliate and worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings in which he allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four. He threw 58 pitches.

Girardi said the workload for Pineda would increase to 75 pitches his next outing and 90 pitches for the outing following that, after which, theoretically, he would be built up enough to return to the Yankees' starting rotation. Barring further setbacks, a normal five-day schedule would put his earliest possible return around August 19, when the Yankees begin a homestand with a three-game series against the Houston Astros.

"He was letting it go free and easy with no issues. So that's real encouraging," Girardi said of Pineda. "We're pleased with the progress that he's making, and we'll take it step by step."

Post #2 » by **TNBT** » Tue Aug 5, 2014 1:14 pm

Tanaka reported that his elbow felt "good" and that he had no pain after a session throwing 25 times. It's still just the first step, but it's encouraging news that he didn't feel any lingering pain.

Vides990 · Post #3 » by **Vides990** » Tue Aug 5, 2014 3:03 pm

Girardi said he won't be back before Labor Day, just sit him the rest of the year......

Post #4 » by **moocow007** » Tue Aug 5, 2014 5:45 pm

As good as guys like McCarthy and Phelps (who BTW just injured his elbow) have pitched, is it really worth it to risk the future by trying to get Tanaka back so he can MAYBE help the Yankees land a wild card spot?

Post #5 » by **TNBT** » Wed Aug 6, 2014 10:15 am

I'd be ok with just shutting him down for the year. Pushing to scrape into the playoffs this year isn't as important as making sure that Tanaka is healthy for next season and beyond.

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Dr. Detfink · Post #6 » by **Dr. Detfink** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:52 pm

I agree. This guy IS the present/future Ace of the rotation. Why risk tearing something that will put him out a season if not more?

Weds the Yanks are throwing in the fire, another guy that was supposed to be that ace, Pineda.

So far, he hasn't panned out. That makes it imperative that Cashman take seriously international talent since he can't draft anyone outside of relief pitchers.

Jalen Bluntson · Post #7 » by **Jalen Bluntson** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:09 am

Absolutely foolish to even bring him back this season. Risking further injury that would have required TJS for nothing short of a cinderella shot at a WS is insane. Just glad to hear he is doing well and no setbacks. Stay off the mound for a while. No rush to get him back this season at all.

Not a doctor but I worry about the path he chose to fix this injury. Anyone know anything about this? opting out of TJS to heal with rest? Seems like prolonging the inevitable for the sake of a few more games played if he gets hurt again.

Dr. Detfink · Post #8 » by **Dr. Detfink** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:34 pm

Am I also wrong in being sore about the Yankees pitching coach and even Joe G...not monitoring this guy's innings...and # of splitters thrown. Japanese pitchers usually pitch every 6 days and this is Tanaka's first season, they should be taking care of that arm.

It irritates me because if he was still pitching, the Yanks would be so much more in the hunt.

Post #9 » by **TNBT** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 12:38 pm

Are We Ther Yet wrote:Absolutely foolish to even bring him back this season. Risking further injury that would have required TJS for nothing short of a cinderella shot at a WS is insane. Just glad to hear he is doing well and no setbacks. Stay off the mound for a while. No rush to get him back this season at all.

Not a doctor but I worry about the path he chose to fix this injury. Anyone know anything about this? opting out of TJS to heal with rest? Seems like prolonging the inevitable for the sake of a few more games played if he gets hurt again.

I've been wondering the same thing myself. I've seen some comments that say that its great that he's getting rest and he'll come back as good as you. Then on the other hand I've seen some comments where people are saying that this approach is dumb because the ligament isn't going to heal without surgery and all that rest is doing is prolonging the inevitable surgery which if he'd had, he would be that much further along in the recovery process. Now I don't know how many of these commenters are doctors (probably very few if any) but it does get you thinking about both sides of the coin in this situation.

Vides990 · Post #10 » by **Vides990** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:02 pm

Girardi and Tanaka both said there is no plan for Tanaka to have another MRI to make sure the slight tear in his right elbow ligament is fine.
Since Tanaka is throwing without pain, the assumption is there are no health issues. Tanaka has been out a little more than a month.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... w-fine-now

Is our management really that stupid?

Dr. Detfink · Post #11 » by **Dr. Detfink** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:13 pm

Geezus. There should be MRIs daily for Tanaka.

Vides990 · Post #12 » by **Vides990** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:42 pm

He's our only legit asset along with being a legit Ace, when the other option is tommy john you don't think its worth taking a look to verify he's good?

There's no reason for him to be brought back this year but they're going to do it anyways, if he blows out his arm we're set back even further then we are.......

Post #13 » by **TNBT** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 5:34 am

I can't believe that. They're really going to go with the "meh, it looks ok so let's just not bother checking it" with the ace of the staff, who could possibly miss an entire year or more if he needs TJ surgery?

How can management and the medical staff REALLY be that dumb?

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Dr. Detfink · Post #14 » by **Dr. Detfink** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:53 pm

Not bad for a first start back.

Pharmcat · Post #15 » by **Pharmcat** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 10:25 pm

he looked great
but at the end of the day, the ligament will eventually snap...just a matter of time

Post #16 » by **moocow007** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 4:52 pm

TNBT wrote:I can't believe that. They're really going to go with the "meh, it looks ok so let's just not bother checking it" with the ace of the staff, who could possibly miss an entire year or more if he needs TJ surgery?

How can management and the medical staff REALLY be that dumb?

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Hard to tell where this oddball thinking is coming from. Cashman or Steinbrenner Jr. Could actually be coming from Junior Steinbrenner. Either way, I agree, not exactly the most sound way of thinking.