The Yankees suffer another starting pitching injury, as Masahiro Tanaka joins CC Sabathia on the 10-day DL.
The New York Yankees have placed starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, per a team announcement. Reliever Giovanny Gallegos has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his spot on the roster.
Given Tanaka’s previous injury history, any DL trip is bound to cause concern, but Bryan Hoch of MLB.com says the right-hander’s current shoulder issue is not structural in nature. Tanaka reported fatigue in his arm, and the team decided to put him on the shelf for 10 days to recuperate.
Tanaka did not appear very sharp in his last start on Wednesday in Toronto, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and an uncharacteristic five walks in four innings against the Blue Jays.
The Yankees will breathe a small sigh of relief that the injury does not involve Tanaka’s elbow or forearm. He famously suffered a partial tear of his UCL in 2014, but was advised to treat it with rest and rehab rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. Tanaka was limited to 20 starts that season as he rehabbed, and 24 in 2015 when he spent time on the DL with forearm soreness.
This latest development, however, will do little to dispel questions about Tanaka’s ability to withstand a traditional MLB workload. The only time he has come close to logging 200 innings in a season was last year, when he tossed 199.2 frames over 31 outings. Tanaka has typically pitched better on extra rest since arriving from Japan, which the Yankees have been able to accommodate only occasionally.
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The DL stint, minor as it might seem, also comes relatively late in a very important season for Tanaka. If he chooses, he can opt out of the final three years and $67 million of his contract at season’s end. What seemed a likely outcome at the beginning of the campaign turned into a doubtful one as Tanaka endured a nightmare start to the season. He managed a bloated 6.34 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 2.47 HR/9 rate in his first 14 starts.
Tanaka gradually regained his composure, though, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 1.11 HR/9 over his most recent nine outings. Suddenly, the opt-out seemed like a real possibility once again. It still might be if Tanaka can return to action as soon as he’s eligible and finish the year strong. But the necessity of the DL trip – at a time when the Yankees really need him at his best – certainly throws another wrench into the situation.
The Yankees have been no strangers to injuries in their rotation, especially of late. CC Sabathia just went back on the DL with knee trouble, though he too is hoping to be ready to go after the 10-day respite. Rookie lefty Jordan Montgomery was called back up to take Sabathia’s scheduled start tomorrow. New York also lost Michael Pineda earlier in the season to Tommy John surgery.
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It’s unclear who will take Tanaka’s turn in the rotation when needed. Luis Cessa has made four spot starts this year but largely struggled in them. Bryan Mitchell could be another option; he’s already on the roster and pitched an impressive four innings of relief on Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
In any case, the Yankees will want to have Tanaka back to full strength as soon as possible while they continue to fight for a postseason berth.