New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka has been placed on the disabled list with a sore elbow, the club announced Wednesday. The Yankees invested $175 million in Masahiro Tanaka before this season, giving him a seven-year, $155 million contract while also paying a $20 million posting fee to his Japanese club, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, and up until this point it was a good investment.
Tanaka has posted a 12-4 record and a 2.51 ERA in his first 18 starts, making the All-Star team.
Tanaka will have an MRI on the tender elbow and the team will anxiously wait for the results.
“I do understand the reason why I was struggling today,” Tanaka said. “But it’s really difficult for me to tell you why that was.”
“It goes without saying how important he’s been,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. “He’s been as good as anyone, probably, in our league that we’ve seen. He’s been our go-to guy.”
“It’s not how you draw it up, I can tell you that,” Yankees Skipper Joe Girardi said. “Injuries are part of the game and you’ve got to deal with them.”
