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Joe Girardi: ‘Our plan is to have Masahiro Tanaka start Opening Day’

You can file this in the “I-saw-that-coming” category, but manager Joe Girardi said Monday morning that the Yankees – barring any unforeseen health issues – plan on having Masahiro Tanaka be the team’s Opening Day starter on April 2 at Tampa Bay. Girardi didn’t name an Opening Day starter until March 31 last season.

Tanaka, 28, is coming off a solid campaign in which he went 14-4 with a 3.07 ERA and 165 strikeouts over 32 starts. He was able to remain relatively healthy while still pitching with a slight tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament.

Tanaka decided not to pitch in the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan this spring. With so many question marks in the rotation, it’s probably in the Yankees’  best interest that he stays in camp and avoids a heavier workload in the WBC.

Tanaka is owed $22 million this season and can opt out of his contract at the end of the year, foregoing the remaining $67 million on his deal through 2020. Tanaka will likely let the year play out and see how he feels health-wise before making a decision.

This will mark Tanaka’s third consecutive Opening Day start with the Yankees.