Masahiro Tanaka was signed by the New York Yankees to be the next pitching star. In his rookie season with the team he certainly lived up to the hype, but an elbow injury suddenly has everyone concerned. Tanaka missed two months of last season after suffering a frayed ligament in his elbow, but the pitcher opted out of surgery and into a 10-month rehab program convinced that would do the trick. While his Opening Day start was certainly cause for concern, Joe Girardi and Tanaka are downplaying any lingering issues.
Tanaka's start on Opening Day left a lot to be desired. He got pounded for five hits and four runs as the Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays while his fastballs only reached around 90 miles per hour, below his normal average. Tanaka's velocity was a headline in spring training, everyone in the Yankees organization is denying it will be an issue. Girardi told the media via ESPNNewYork.com that he was tired of talking about Tanaka's velocity and it was a non-issue. The pitcher said the same thing. Time will tell if that is really the case.
According to John Harper of the New York Daily News, Tommy John surgery is inevitable for Tanaka. When the pitcher was originally injured, doctors did not suggest surgery originally, but it is clear that rehab is not going its job at the moment. Tanaka is signed for the long-term and the Yankees would be wise to get their ace healthy now instead of letting the issue linger causing bigger problems down the road.
If Tanaka were to need surgery, something that will not be decided in the near future, the Yankees need pitching options. The Yankees are hoping that they can get two in-house options back quickly. Both Ivan Nova and Chris Capuano were played on the 15-day disabled list to start the season. Nova is still recovering from his own bout of Tommy John surgery while Capuano suffered a right quad strain in spring training. Capuano made two starts before getting hurt and New York could use to have him back.
Of course there is the idea of a potential trade. According to CSNPhilly.com, the Yankees have expressed interest in Cole Hamels and actually came closer than any other team to getting a deal done. If Tanaka's injury gets worse, Hamels could become a priority for the team. The same can be said for a player like Dillon Gee with the New York Mets or Jordan Zimmermann with the Washington Nationals. A trade is likely the last thing the Yankees really want to do and could hold out to see how quickly Capuano and Nova can get healthy.
