New York Yankees pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia are reportedly ready for 2015 Spring Training after missing a bulk of their games last season due to injuries.
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild revealed that Tanaka has been doing well so far after recovering from an elbow injury last season, which limited the Japanese pitcher to just 20 starts last season.
"Until we know different, he's healthy," Rothschild to the New York Post when asked about Tanaka's current condition. "I've communicated with him. He's followed what we set up. So far, he's felt good."
Tanaka, who signed a lucrative seven-year deal worth $155 million with the Yankees last year, suffered a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. A Tommy John surgery is needed to repair the partial tear, but the Yankees opted to have Tanaka undergo intensive rehab before deciding on surgery.
The strategy worked for Tanaka and the Yankees as the 26-year-old pitcher managed to make two starts before the season ended. The Itami, Japan native recently trained with his former team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, and reportedly experienced no setback.
While Tanaka is showing positive signs recently, Rothschild said that they will continue taking a cautious approach in Spring Training in order to make sure that the second-year pitcher will be ready for the 2015 MLB season.
"We've got to manage a few guys in spring training and try to get them through healthy, and he's one of them," Rothschild said of Tanaka. "We'll go a lot by how he's feeling in between outings and make sure he gets a rest. He's got to get built up to be ready to pitch."
Aside from Tanaka, the Yankees will monitor the condition of Sabathia closely as he returns from a long layoff due to a knee injury. Rothschild said that he is unsure of what to expect from the veteran pitcher in the upcoming season until he sees the 34-year-old in Spring Training.
But in a recent interview, Sabathia is convinced that he will be ready to contribute again for the Yankees. He is hoping to stay healthy for the rest of the season to bounce back from a dismal year last season.
"That was the shortest year, having my year cut short by injury last year," Sabathia said. "Hopefully this year I can go out and try to make 30 starts and just be healthy and try to help the team win."
Sabathia, who will be playing in his seventh year for the Yankees, was limited to just eight starts last season. The veteran went 3-4 with a measly 5.28 ERA and just 48 strikeouts before being sidelined by knee issues.
