TAMPA — Matt Harvey’s spring debut following Tommy John surgery was electrifying.
Masahiro Tanaka’s first game action this spring after avoiding Tommy John surgery was extremely effective.
The Yankees will take it, gladly. After all, 2015 is all about survive and advance, day-to-day, pitch-by-pitch survival. It’s a season of walking on eggshells, hoping all goes right in their world where so much can go wrong.
Tanaka elected not to have Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury in early July last season. He came back in late September for two starts, and surrendered seven runs in his final outing, getting just five outs.
This spring is like starting over again.
The right-hander made it through his first big test Saturday, 29 pitches in a simulated game, then declared himself ready to pitch in a regular exhibition game.
“Absolutely,’’ Tanaka said. “Whenever, wherever they want me to go, I think I’m ready to go into a game.’’
That figures to be Thursday night at Steinbrenner Field against the Braves.
“It’s his first sim day so it was a good day of work,’’ pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. “If things progress the way they are I am very confident he will be ready [for the start of the season].”
It comes down to a wing and a prayer on the pitching mound. The Yankees are hoping the small tear in the ligament of Tanaka’s right elbow doesn’t get any bigger.
Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish opted to go the Tanaka route after suffering elbow problems last season, shutting it down for seven weeks, but was dealt a setback Thursday when he felt tightness again in the elbow and is considering Tommy John surgery.
Tanaka is taking a most dangerous gamble.
So far so good, though.
Facing right-handed hitting Gary Sanchez and left-handed hitting Cole Figueroa at an empty Steinbrenner Field, with the wind blowing in, Tanaka recorded eight outs, allowing only one single up the middle to Sanchez as he threw 23 of those 29 pitches for strikes. He managed one strikeout.
“Overall, I thought it was very good,’’ Tanaka said, as he spoke outside the Yankees clubhouse with a large ice pack wrapped around the elbow. “All the pitches I threw today I am pretty satisfied with. The [elbow] is really good and I don’t think about it at all.’’
Tanaka used all his pitches and said his fastball, more than the splitter, was a good indication of how he feels.
“It was coming out really good,’’ he said of the pitch.
“He had no problems,” said Rothschild, who acted as the umpire from behind the mound. “He was using all his pitches, it is where you would expect him to be.’’
After his first inning of work, Tanaka sat on the bench and his demeanor told you everything you needed to know about his elbow and his day.
He was smiling and happy.
The Yankees will check with Tanaka on Sunday to see how his elbow responds to those 29 pitches and if all is good, look for him to pitch Thursday.
Each outing for Tanaka is Groundhog Day. The Yankees are holding their breath that all goes well and Tanaka can make it through the season.
If the tear gets worse, Tanaka will be out of action for at least a year and the Yankees will have no chance for success.
The Yankees signed Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million deal before last season, and he responded with a 13-5 record and 2.77 ERA over 20 starts.
He is their ace. They need to squeeze every win they can out of that right arm.
“You look for the best, and if you have to adjust, you adjust off of that,’’ Rothschild said of the Tanaka game plan.
Asked how the umpiring was, Rothschild smiled and said, “I think I should do it all the time. We’d have quick games.’’
Tanaka’s elbow had survived another day. It was not an electrifying day, but it was a good day.
“Hopefully it will continue this way,’’ Rothschild said.
Survive and advance, even when it’s only a simulated game.