TAMPA, Fla. -- With every pitch, a little optimism left Masahiro Tanaka's right hand. Strike after strike -- 15 out of 19 pitches -- came and went through the humid Florida air, leaving a trail of hope that the ace of the Yankees' staff might be back.
Nothing can be decided at a March 12 exhibition game, of course, but the Yankees and their universe of fans had to feel better about Tanaka's right elbow after he breezed through the Braves on Thursday night at Big Stein.
While Tanaka -- after two-and-a-half months out with a slightly torn ulnar collateral ligament -- came back at the end of 2014, the ace may have returned Thursday. He looked like the Cy Young candidate he was over the first half of last season.
The Yankees desperately need Tanaka to anchor their fragile staff in 2015. While CC Sabathia reported feeling good after his simulated game Thursday, fifth starter Chris Capuano already is out for the first month of the season. Ivan Nova won't return until June at the earliest. Michael Pineda, while talented and primed for a great year, has never pitched a full major league season.
The rest of the rotation, barring a trade, will be filled out by the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Adam Warren, Esmil Rogers, Chase Whitley or Bryan Mitchell. That is why Tanaka's night was important for today and the future.
Even as Tanaka looked so good, the Yankees, as Brian Cashman said the other day, don't know if his elbow will hold up for 10 more days or 10 more years. So what stood in the air Thursday night will be there for every Tanaka start -- the apprehension of when or whether Tanaka's elbow will give.
The dilemma of it all is that what makes Tanaka an ace is what might destroy him. The pitch that turns a pretty good starter into an ace, his split-finger fastball, is the one that could unhinge him.
It hasn't been scientifically proven that the grip of the splitter and the force of throwing it ruins elbows, but there are many in the game who believe it does.
“He is going to pitch,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “We have not sat down and said, you can’t do this or you can’t do that. You can’t have a pitcher go out there saying, ‘They won’t let me use my weapons.’”
Tanaka used his weapons Thursday night, providing electrifying signs of hope the same way Matt Harvey did in his first spring start across the state. Tanaka fired 19 pitches, and 15 were strikes. Tanaka struck out a couple of major league hitters, Freddie Freeman and Jonny Gomes. He unleashed four trademark splitters, striking out Gomes with one of them.
Tanaka was so efficient, he had to run down to the bullpen to finish up his work, throwing 18 more pitches.
Girardi called Thursday a “big day” for the Yankees because 40 percent of his rotation took the mound. It was as successful as spring training days get. Sabathia’s simulated game was deemed a real good one by the manager and the pitcher, and we’ll have to take them at their word because there were no fielders nor major league hitters present for it.
Sabathia advanced to the next step, presumably an exhibition start next week, which will be his first since his knee surgery.
“Those guys are horses,” said Alex Rodriguez, who played behind Tanaka for the first time on Thursday. “We are going to go as far as they take us.”
Unlike Tanaka, 26, the 34-year-old Sabathia probably will never have his full complement of weapons again. The put-away, 90s fastball has been missing for a couple of years, taking with it much of Sabathia's success. His ERA has been nearly five over his last 40 starts.
The Yankees will talk around it, but -- regardless of A-Rod pairing Sabathia with Tanaka -- must know they can only expect so much from the big lefty, despite his $23 million paycheck. Sabathia earned his way into Yankees lore by leading the team to a championship in 2009. He might be able to help a little, but Tanaka is the one who has to lead with performance. The ace baton is being extended for Tanaka or Pineda to grab.
Tanaka had a run of 14 incredible starts last year, just one more than Pineda. Pineda had a 1.89 ERA in his 13 starts, while Tanaka began the year with a 1.99 ERA in his initial 14 outings, 12 of which were Yankees wins.
During that stretch, the Yankees were 24-34 when the mortals started. Tanaka was a difference-maker. He could be that again.
So Thursday was just a warm night in March, but if you want to make it to the cold of October, you have to start somewhere.