Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka positive injury update after taking line-drive to head

Imagine taking a 112 mph fastball off your head. That is what Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka experienced off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton, who regularly ranks atop of the league in exit velocity.

Went Tanaka was struck by the comebacker last week, he immediately fell to the ground in pain. He laid motionless for several minutes before walking off under his own power.

Miraculously, Tanaka has managed to return to action extremely fast. He went home the same day after the incident, as his concussion symptoms alleviated.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone updated us on Tanaka’s health:

Tanaka “got his heart rate going a little bit more” and “he responded well,” Boone said. “Still, at this point, taking it slowly. But he’s doing pretty well.”

Tanaka also spent time on the field working out lightly.

“He did that (Tuesday) as well,” Boone said. “He’s been doing his cardio inside, but then wanting to get him outside in the light and moving around a little bit out there. Was able to do a little more of that today but he did that yesterday as well and responded well to it. We’re continuing to move cautiously and slow with him but at least encouraged by how he’s responding to what we’ve put in front of him so far.”

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Tanaka is an essential part of the Yankees’ starting pitching rotation. He has ample experience in the postseason which will pay dividends in a condensed 60-game schedule.

Last year with the Yankees, he posted a 4.45 ERA at 30 years old. He was an All-Star based on the first half of the season but fell off a bit in the second. There is no doubt that he can be an effective pitcher at the MLB level for the next few years, but this is his final year on a seven-year, $155 million deal with the Bombers.

Tanaka has been relatively healthy since his inception in the MLB, pitching no less than 136 innings over six years. The Yankees could elect to extend him based on his efficiency in this campaign, but they will also have to make decisions on J.A. Happ and James Paxton, making Tanaka’s retention a bit more complicated.