Tanaka feeling healthy after first bullpen session

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka's elbow injury last season was definitely serious, but Tanaka himself apparently isn't stressing it.

Tanaka feels fine with the current state of his rehab a day after throwing his first bullpen session of 2015, he told the media Friday morning in Tampa. 

"I feel it's healed," Tanaka said, according to NJ.com. "I'm confident I can get through the season."

Tanaka partially tore his right UCL during a start in Cleveland last July, sidelining him until September 21. When the issue was first realized, Tanaka was only expected to miss 6-8 weeks, but the then-rookie struggled to recover quickly. 

The Yankees aren't that concerned about Tanaka's ability to stay healthy, however, and don't view his situation as unique.

"What he's been through, it's not really uncommon," team manager Joe Girardi said.

Tanaka, along with all of the other Yankees' pitchers and catchers, reported to spring training Friday, the first notable date of the club's preseason. The rest of the squad is set to arrive February 25, and the first exhibition game will be played March 3. 

It's presently unknown when Tanaka will make an appearance in an active contest, but the Yankees trust he will be okay when he does. 

"There's been a lot of pitchers who have gone through what he's had and pitched for a substantial period of time before anything has to be done," Girardi said.

Tanaka Looking to Gain Offseason Confidence With Today's Start

Yankees' ace Masahiro Tanaka's goal today is to gain confidence for his first Major League offseason.

Tanaka, 13-4 with a 2.47 ERA this year, returned to the team after a two-and-a-half month absence last Sunday, holding the Blue Jays to just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings.

“(Getting through today healthy) should give me some confidence and just be able to go back home to Japan and work out the way I want to,” Tanaka recently told The Journal News. "I do really want to go out there again and check to see how my arm is. That’s kind of the main thing I’m looking for."

In last week's outing, Tanaka surrendered just five hits while striking out four. It was the third time this year he had beaten Toronto and the second time he had done so at Yankee Stadium.

“I still want to go out there and check to see how my arm, how my body is,” Tanaka said. “But obviously, compared to the first time, to last Sunday, no I’m not (concerned). There’s no fear or anything.”

This afternoon's start will be Tanaka's twentieth in Pinstripes. Of the first nineteen, interestingly, sixteen have been quality, or lasted at least six frames while allowing no more than three runs.

Tanaka Feeling Good After First Return Start

Yankees' ace Masahiro Tanaka is feeling good after his first return start Sunday.

Tanaka, 25, gave up just one earned run in 5 1/3 innings during the outing, helping the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 5-2 for their fourth win in five games.

"It's been a while since I've been back out there," Tanaka told The New York Daily News yesterday. "But overall I'm pretty satisfied with how I pitched today."

As he should be. In the contest, the first one he's been a part of since July 8, Tanaka surrendered just five hits while walking none, helping him collect his team-best thirteenth W of the season.

"I wanted to check to see how well my elbow responds, so in that sense it was a success," Tanaka said. "I felt like I was able to do all the things I wanted to do on the mound today."

The performance was Tanaka's seventeenth this year in which he allowed three earned runs or less. The only two where he failed to do so, which happened just before he suffered his arm injury, came against the Twins and Indians this summer, with Tanaka letting his opponents cross home four and five times in those competitions, respectively.

Tanaka "Feels Good" After Throwing Simulated Game; Could Return Next Weekend

In a move that could finally give their fans something to look forward to, Yankees' ace Masahiro Tanaka threw a 65-pitch simulated game today at George M. Steinbrenner Field, saying he felt good afterwards. 

Tanaka, a 25-year-old rookie who's been out since July 8, gave up six hits and struck out four in the five-inning outing against some of the team's minor leaguers, citing his inability to motivate himself in a non-regular season atmosphere as the reason for his struggles. 

"I feel good," Tanaka told the New York Daily News through an interpreter. "As far as my performance goes, I think it's gradually getting better. It's not really a regular-season game atmosphere, so it's harder to get myself up there. But I do feel good."

Over the last few weeks, the Yankees have often stated that they want Tanaka to appear in at least one contest before the year ends. So when asked if he thinks he'll be able to return by next weekend, the right-hander admitted his uncertainty, but said he'll see how he is tomorrow.

"It's hard to say right now," Tanaka said. "We'll look and see how I feel tomorrow and I'll be talking with Joe (Girardi) and Larry (Rothschild)."

Tanaka Experiencing Arm Soreness; Still Hopeful He Can Return

In an event that could prove to be disastrous in how the Yankees' season plays out, injured team ace Masahiro Tanaka is experiencing "general arm soreness."

According to YES Network's Jack Curry, Tanaka will now head back to New York to do strengthening exercises, an unfortunate necessity that apparently hasn't killed the rookie's spirit. 

"We still have a whole month," Tanaka said earlier today, via the NYDN's Mark Feinsand. "I'm going to do my best to get back."

Prior to this sudden and discouraging news, Tanaka threw alright in a 49-pitch simulated game at Comerica Park, definitely making this announcement scary.

No, Tanaka didn't look perfect in yesterday's rehab appearance, but since he still didn't report any serious problems after it you can't help but get put down by this development, as it essentially adds one more worry to the front office's already-long list.