The NY Yankees are getting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka back from stint on the 15-day DL after dealing with a wrist and forearm issue and the Japanese star is on his way to a rehab assignment in the minor leagues in Scranton this week after throwing a bullpen session at Nationals Park ahead of the start of the New York series against Washington.
Tanaka has been on the DL while coming back from having forearm tightness and he has not pitched in a game since April 23. According to Hardball Talk, Tanaka will be making a rehab start in the minor leagues after he was cleared by the medical staff, as he was able to throw 29-pitches without an issues on Monday morning.
Tanaka will be starting for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Thursday after coming back from his injury and he could rejoin the team soon. Tanaka has already been throwing from flat ground and the 26-year-old was expected to return to the rotation in June.
The Yankees have been careful with Tanaka, as he is pitching with a partially-torn ligament in his elbow and could need Tommy John surgery eventually. Tanaka has starter four games this season and he has pitched 22 innings, putting up a 3.22 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just seven walks. Tanaka started the season last year as one of the leading rookie of the year candidates, but he ended his first year in the majors on the sidelines after injuring his elbow.
Tanaka started off 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA last year and since that opening he has gone 3-2 overall with a 3.99 ERA extending into this season. Tanaka is hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season, but so far in two years he has had two DL stints. The Yankees have been hanging on without Tanaka, as Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia have been pitching well enough, but they sure could use the ace back. Tanaka started on Opening Day and he is 2-1 this season.