Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka throws encouraging bullpen session, set for debut

LAKELAND, Fla. — Masahiro Tanaka is game-ready.

Spring training game-ready, at any rate.

The righthander, being brought along slowly because of surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow last October, threw a 33-pitch bullpen session Friday morning at Steinbrenner Field with no apparent issues, clearing the way for him to make his exhibition debut Saturday against the Phillies in Clearwater.

“I thought it was very good,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told reporters. “Quality of pitches, arm strength.”

Tanaka is slated to throw two innings or about 30 pitches, whichever comes first.

Mitchell shakes off rough start

Bryan Mitchell, in competition for the bullpen swingman job performed so well last season by the since-traded Adam Warren, started Friday against the Tigers and did not allow a hit or run in two innings. Of his first three batters faced, he walked one and hit one, but he allowed no further damage.

“I thought it was pretty good,” Mitchell said. “I had a little bit of nerves at first . . . thought I was a tad antsy and overthrowing a tad bit in the first but tried to go back out there and locate pitches.”

Mitchell said that since Warren was traded in December, the prospect of winning a job in spring training has gone through his mind. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s so many good pitchers we have right now . . . just trying to do what I can right now.”

Extra bases

Kirby Yates, a solid reliever for the Rays two years ago who now is competing for a middle-innings bullpen spot with the Yankees, pitched a perfect inning in his debut . . . Jacoby Ellsbury worked out in Tampa and is set to play in his first game Saturday at home against the Red Sox.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

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.