Tanaka cautious about Opening Day

Although Masahiro Tanaka's minor elbow surgery is four months in the rear-view mirror, he's still being cautious about a possible Opening Day start:

Masahiro Tanaka "can't really say" if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Needs to "get the innings in, see how I feel." pic.twitter.com/ROhkto0rFu

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 12, 2016

Tanaka did say that he's "perfectly healthy," but he's still building himself up for the season. He should know more about his health and progress once he gets more innings under his belt. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild won't push Tanaka, and noted that there's a lot of time between now and the start of the season to get him ready. The team will likely be extra careful with their ace in order to protect him for the long haul. Tanaka threw from a mound last week for the first time since October, and Rothschild said that all reports are good regarding his throwing program. Tanaka's still pitching with a minor tear in his elbow, so there's always the thought in the back of everyone's mind that he'll get seriously hurt. Tanaka, 27, underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his elbow to remove a bone spur back in October. The Yankees said that the spur originated from his time in Japan. Should Tanaka miss Opening Day, it seems logical that Michael Pineda would be next in line to make the start. Let's cross our fingers and hope everyone can make it through Spring Training in one piece. Pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 18.