Yankees in major trouble without Masahiro Tanaka
The New York Yankees are about to go into a tailspin. At 13-9, New York is surprisingly leading the mediocre American League East by a game over the Tampa Bay Rays, but don’t expect to see the Bronx Bombers in the penthouse for much longer.
On Tuesday night, the news broke that stud starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will be out for at least a month with what is being called wrist tendonitis and forearm soreness, per Pro Hardball Talk. Can you guess what is likely coming down the pike? Tommy John surgery. Almost all Tommy John patients have the precursor of forearm strains, and we knew coming into the season that Tanaka was trying to avoid this exact procedure.
Tanaka sustained a small UCL tear last year, and it is not going away. Tanaka won’t be taking the mound until June at the earliest, and it’s probable he won’t see a meaningful game until late in 2016. Without the Japanese sensation, New York is staring at a highly questionable staff featuring Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, CC Sabathia, Adam Warren and Chase Whitley. Not exactly the 1990’s Atlanta Braves.
Pineda is the best of the bunch, sporting a 3-0 record with a 3.73 ERA. From there, things get uglier than Alex Rodriguez trying to defend his honor in front of New York reporters. Warren has a 4.35 ERA, while Sabathia is declining and owns a brutal 5.96 ERA. Eovaldi has a bloated WHIP of 1.66 through his first four starts, only recording one quality start.
Manager Joe Girardi has his work cut out for him without a stud prospect to call up. The Yankees will need to pitch lights out in the bullpen and stay healthy in the lineup, something which could pose another significant challenge. Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann are all on the wrong side of age 30. Then there is Jacoby Ellsbury, a mega-talent in center field but always an injury concern.
The Yankees are an aging group with a bad rotation. It will be tough for the men in pinstripes to win 80 games, let along the AL East. Things have begun in promising fashion, but smart money says New York will be nothing more than an afterthought by July 4.
For once, it appears the best baseball inside the city limits of Gotham will reside in Flushing at venerable Citi Field. The Mets are stocked with a staff of terrific arms and a young, energetic lineup. In the Bronx, the arms are middling and the lineup is old and tired, something that won’t play well over the course of an 162-game campaign.
The Tanaka injury is simply the final straw for the Yankees. It is something the team will not be able to overcome, especially if it wipes out the rest of the season as many expect.
