Masahiro Tanaka managed to get through his first start in the 2015 MLB season, but his performance on Monday stirred speculation that the New York Yankees ace pitcher might eventually undergo Tommy John surgery.
Tanaka, who sustained a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last season that limited him to just 20 starts, failed to make an impact in their 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in their season opener.
The Japanese pitcher, who signed a lucrative seven-year deal worth $155 million last year, managed to keep the Blue Jays guessing in the first two innings of the match, but the opposing hitters figured things out in the third.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told New York Daily News that their batters struggled against Tanaka early in the game, but felt more comfortable when they figured out that the 26-year-old pitcher was throwing at a low velocity and was just relying on his splitter and slider.
"We made some adjustments against Tanaka," Gibbons said. "It's no secret his velocity is down. Anyone who doesn't have that extra velocity, you don't have to commit as early. It gives you more time."
Most analysts are convinced that Tanaka was too tentative with his pitches and looked very conscious of not putting pressure on his injured throwing elbow. Tanaka's performance raises question about up to when the Yankees will delay the Tommy John surgery for Tanaka.
But as for Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Tanaka's first game should not be used as a gauge. While he was not impressed with the way their ace performed on Monday, Rothschild expressed confidence that they will see a different Tanaka when he starts again on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.
"I'm not going to make excuses," Rothschild said of Tanaka's poor debut. "He's capable of pitching better than today, and he will. I think you'll see it as long as he stays healthy, and I believe right now he is healthy."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi also acknowledged that there was a dip on Tanaka's pitching velocity, but he pointed out that a pitcher could still be effective even if he is throwing at a low velocity.
Girardi said that the success of a pitcher also depends on pitch placing, movement and deception, which, he said, Tanaka managed to do early in the first two innings of their season opener against the Blue Jays.
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