Joe Girardi says Yankees haven’t sent Masahiro Tanaka for medical scans
Manager Joe Girardi #28 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 4, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Getty Images / Brian Blanco
Joe Girardi offered an interesting answer when asked if, in order to get to the bottom of Masahiro Tanaka’s difficulties, the Yankees had sent him for any additional “scans” to make sure there’s nothing physically wrong.
“There isn’t,” Girardi said before Wednesday’s game. “You just don’t scan people, you just don’t light them up inside. We don’t want to turn him into Spider-Man or Superman or something like that. Radiation is something you have to deal with, so, no, you just don’t scan people to scan them. We have to do that in the airport and none of us like it.”
Tanaka enters Thursday’s start 5-3, but with a 6.56 ERA. That number was bumped up significantly by what’s happened in his last two outings after he allowed 14 runs and 16 hits, including seven home runs in 4 2⁄3 innings. There hasn’t been any indications of any kind of injury, but the righthander has allowed 13 home runs in 48 innings this season.
Bird closing on rehab assignment
Greg Bird, on the DL since May 2 with a right ankle bone bruise, is slated to head to Tampa Sunday night and play in an extended spring training game Monday. If that goes well, he’ll begin a rehab assignment
“I’m really encouraged,” said Bird, who went through a third straight day of on-field baseball activities Wednesday, which included playing catch and running the bases. “Moving around it feels great. Good feedback from the coaches, too.”
Headley’s travails
The struggles of third baseman Chase Headley have been magnified recently with the weekend promotion of the organization’s top prospect, Gleyber Torres, to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the club’s plan to give him even more work at third.
Headley entered Wednesday in a 6-for-51 slide, though he stung a couple of balls Tuesday, one resulting in a double and one resulting in a tough-luck out, a liner right to Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer.
“He hasn’t had a lot of luck,” Girardi said. “It’s been frustrating for him but his at-bats have not been nearly as bad as the numbers have indicated.”
Chapman progress
Girardi said closer Aroldis Chapman (left rotator cuff inflammation) will be evaluated by a doctor Friday and, if cleared, will begin his throwing program Saturday.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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