Masahiro Tanaka & David Phelps Still On Track To Be Saviors

The New York Yankees got a couple of updates on starting pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and David Phelps and both got encouraging news for this season. Tanaka and Phelps are still on track to return to the Yankees in 2014 and may be the saviors and the lift that New York needs for their postseason push.

Tanaka was diagnosed with a "tired arm" by team doctor Chris Ahmad yesterday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session sometime this week. Every test that came back was negative meaning there is no structural damage to the arm or the elbow, both great signs. While Tanaka will end up being shut down nearly a week making this a setback this is a much better scenario than having the team learning their decision to try and avoid surgery and being wrong. Great news.

Phelps threw a 25 pitch bullpen session yesterday throwing fastballs and changeups and is scheduled to ramp up his production to 35 pitches on Friday. I'm not entirely sure why the Yankees are being so cautious with Phelps when they weren't with Tanaka but they know more about the injuries and the risk than I do, and I am willing to admit that. Phelps will have his entire arsenal at his disposal on Friday and if all goes well he will also have all his pitched available on Sunday when he throws a simulated game on Derek Jeter Day.

Phelps may come off the disabled list after the simulated game before Tuesday night's game with the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium (New York is off on Monday). Tanaka is looking more and more like a mid September addition to the rotation, the date of September 12th keeps being thrown around Twitter and the Yankees blogosphere.