Although Masahiro Tanaka‘s minor elbow surgery is four months in the rear-view mirror, he’s still being cautious about a possible Opening Day start:
Masahiro Tanaka “can’t really say” if he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Needs to “get the innings in, see how I feel.” pic.twitter.com/ROhkto0rFu
Tanaka did say that he’s “perfectly healthy,” but he’s still building himself up for the season. He should know more about his health and progress once he gets more innings under his belt. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild won’t push Tanaka, and noted that there’s a lot of time between now and the start of the season to get him ready.