The Yankees' truncated season got off to a rough start this weekend during batting practice -- one of their pitchers took a baseball to the noggin by one their hardest-hitting sluggers.
Righty Masahiro Tanaka was tossing to Giancarlo Stanton Saturday at Yankees Stadium during the team's first summer workout before they officially play ball later this month. During one of his pitches, Stanton hit a line drive right back at Tanaka ... and it nailed him.
The ball struck Tanaka in the head, knocking off his hat and sending him flying to the ground.