It's official: Masahiro Tanaka will start on Opening Day
Masahiro Tanaka during a news conference at the New York Yankees spring training baseball facility, Thursday. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
SARASOTA, Fla. – On Friday night, Aaron Boone strongly hinted that Masahiro Tanaka will start on Opening Day against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. He made it official Saturday.
It will be Tanaka’s fourth Opening Day assignment as a Yankee. He will be followed by lefties James Paxton and J.A. Happ in the first time through the rotation.
“From there we’ll see how it plays out,” Boone said.
That’s a reference to injuries to Luis Severino and CC Sabathia, both of whom will start the season on the injured list.
“I think obviously with James coming over to the team new and everything, just trying to give him as good a landing as can be,” Boone said. “And coupled with how comfortable we are, obviously, with Masa.”
Boone tabbed Severino as his season-opening starter when camp opened, but that plan was derailed last week when the righthander was sidelined with right rotator cuff inflammation. Severino, who signed a four-year, $40 million extension Feb. 15, was shut down for at least two weeks and, in the best-case scenario, likely won’t be ready to return to the rotation until late April or early May.
Sabathia, who underwent a procedure on his right knee and also had an angioplasty during the offseason, is well behind his fellow pitchers in camp and likely won’t be ready until about two weeks into the regular season.
Tanaka, who is entering his sixth season with the Yankees, started the season opener from 2015-17, going 0-2 with a 9.49 ERA.
Said Boone, “Masa’s always a guy we feel very comfortable giving the ball to in any situation.”
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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