And while it is great news to get Tanaka back healthy in and of itself, the other positive is, because he is pitching on Wednesday, he will have enough rest to be the starter for the one-game Wild Card playoff that will take place on Tuesday, October 5.
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That is where the Yankees anticipate being at this time, as they sit 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, yet 4.5 ahead of the Astros for the first Wild Card spot.
Tanaka (hamstring) will start Wednesday against the Red Sox, Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News reports. “So, not big surprise there but yes, I’m relieved and happy to be out there”. “We wanted to make that sure he felt good and he could go through all the things he had to go through”.
Manager Joe Girardi said the 26-year-old ace will have no restrictions in his Wednesday start.
“(The hamstring) is a little bit of a concern”, Girardi said. “So it’s something that will be in the back of his head, but he’s pitched through it the day at Citi Field for four innings and had no issues, and he’s had 10 or 11 days off, so we feel pretty good about it”.
Now in his second season with the Yankees, Tanaka is facing lingering questions about a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after not having Tommy John surgery previous year.
Girardi acknowledged that Tanaka’s return to the rubber against the Red Sox “probably” means he will start the wild card game.
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In 23 starts this season, Tanaka is 12-7 with a team-best 3.38 ERA.
