New York Yankees: Season hinges on Tanaka’s MRI results
Yankees rookie ace Masahiro Tanaka and the Titanic have two things in common: both were seen as indestructible and, for the most part, perfect.
And then came the unexpected iceberg.
The New York Yankees, let alone all of New York City, is collectively holding their breath as they await the results of an MRI on Tanaka’s right elbow after he complained of soreness following the Yankees 5-3 loss in Cleveland on Tuesday.
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Long story short, the Yanks hope he doesn’t have to learn the term “Tommy John” anytime soon.
The 25-year old rookie right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with what’s currently being called elbow inflammation.
Tanaka was nothing like the All-Star, potential Rookie of the Year and American League Cy Young candidate he was projected to be in his last start Tuesday night in the Yankees 5-3 loss to the Indians. Tanaka allowed a season-high five runs on a season-high 10 hits in just 6 2/3 IP, his shortest outing in his last four starts. After the game, he complained of the soreness in his elbow to manager Joe Girardi, who placed him on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.
(Boston’s Koji Uehara replaced Tanaka on the All-Star roster for next week’s All-Star game.)
“It goes without saying how important he’s been,” Yanks captain Derek Jeter said to MLB.com. “He’s been as good as anyone, probably, in our league that we’ve seen. He’s been go-to guy.”
Year | Age | Tm | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 ★ | 25 | NYY | 12 | 4 | 2.51 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 129.1 | 111 | 39 | 36 | 19 | 135 |
1 Yr | 12 | 4 | 2.51 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 129.1 | 111 | 39 | 36 | 19 | 135 | ||
162 Game Avg. | 23 | 8 | 2.51 | 34 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 244 | 210 | 74 | 68 | 36 | 255 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/10/2014.
His 12 wins leads the American League with Detroit’s Rick Porcello (11) and Max Scherzer (11) right behind him, and Tanaka has almost single-handedly kept the Yankees afloat in the AL East going into next week’s All-Star break. With Tanaka’s solid pitching this season (12-4, 2.51 ERA, 135 K) the Yankees are just three games out of first place in the division (46-44).
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Tanaka wanted to see Dr. Chris Ahmad right away.
There hasn’t been any explanation given as to what caused the (what’s currently being called) elbow inflammation so far, and there won’t be any more details until the MRI results come back. This is the first time in his eight-year professional career that he’s been injured.
Tanaka has already pitched 129 1/3 innings this season and started his Yankee career pitching past the seventh inning in his five of his first seven starts and has already logged three complete games this season (one shutout).
He was on pace to pitch about 240-plus innings by the end of the regular season, the most he would’ve pitched in a season in his entire pro career. Before coming to New York, Tanaka pitched a total of 1,315 innings in seven seasons with the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
The Yankees are already barely holding onto a starting pitching rotation. The only holdover from the Opening Day rotation is 33-year old Hiroki Kuroda (6-6, 4.20 ERA, 77K). Including Tanaka, the Yankees have lost just about their entire starting rotation to injury: C.C. Sabathia (knee), Ivan Nova (Tommy John), Michael Pineda (shoulder).
The Yankees tried to bolster, even if just temporarily, their rotation by acquiring Brandon McCarthy from Arizona on Sunday, however the rest will be patchwork. David Phelps will start Thursday in the series finale in Cleveland, Kuroda to start in Baltimore on Friday and Shane Greene will make his second career start on Saturday against the Orioles, but the rest is uncertain for now.
And it’s that uncertainty that is frightening. Yankees starters have earned 34 of the team’s 46 wins, but have also recorded a combined 4.06 ERA and allowed a .268 BAA (12th in the AL). To make matters worse, the Yankee offense hasn’t been all too helpful at the plate either, and with four of the five Yankee starting pitchers out, run support will be crucial if the Yankees can’t fix the issues in the rotation anytime soon. The Yankees are hitting just .252 as a team with just a .314 on-base percentage, but have scored five or more runs in five of their last seven games, all of which were wins.
The Yankees are still trying to stay afloat in the AL East, but if their young ace Tanaka is out of the rotation for an extended amount of time, or if he needs (dare we say it) Tommy John surgery, this Yankee ship may sink and break in half faster than the Titanic.
For now, New York holds their breath and waits. Will this season sink or continue to float?