For two and a half months, Masahiro Tanaka was the best pitcher in the American League. Then his elbow broke. Not literally -- a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, the kind of diagnosis that usually means Tommy John surgery and 14 months of recovery. But the Yankees gambled on PRP therapy, Tanaka gambled on his arm, and somehow the story didn't end on July 9. It just got a whole lot more complicated.
The Contract and the Hype
The Yankees signed Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million contract after the 2013 season, prying him away from the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. The deal included an opt-out clause after the fourth year and represented the Yankees' belief that Tanaka could anchor their rotation for the foreseeable future. He'd gone 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in his final season in Japan. (Twenty-four and zero. Not a typo.)
The expectations were enormous, and Tanaka met every single one of them -- for exactly 14 starts.
The Dominant Beginning
Tanaka made his MLB debut on April 4, 2014, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, and from that moment he was different. His splitter dropped off the table. His fastball-slider combination kept hitters off-balance. Through his first 14 starts, Tanaka went 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA. He struck out 113 batters in 99 innings. He became the first Yankees rookie to win 12 games by the All-Star break. The AL reserve slot on the All-Star roster was his without debate.
The numbers weren't just good -- they were historically good. A 1.99 ERA through 14 starts would've put him on pace for one of the best rookie seasons in modern baseball history. He wasn't just pitching well; he was pitching like a future Cy Young winner. (The phrase "Tanaka Day" entered the Yankees vocabulary, which is the highest compliment the fanbase can give a starter.)
July 8: The Elbow
Against the Cleveland Indians, Tanaka gave up five runs in 6 and 2/3 innings. It wasn't a terrible outing by normal standards, but something was off. He was leaving pitches up, missing locations, lacking the crispness that had defined his first three months. After the game, he reported discomfort in his right elbow.
The next day -- July 9, 2014 -- the MRI results came back: partial tear of the right ulnar collateral ligament. The UCL. The letters every pitcher dreads and every front office fears. The standard protocol was Tommy John surgery, which would've ended Tanaka's season immediately and likely cost him most of 2015 as well.
But the Yankees and Tanaka chose a different path. Instead of surgery, they opted for PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy and rehabilitation. The gamble was straightforward: if the partial tear responded to treatment, Tanaka could potentially return in September and avoid the 14-month surgical recovery. If it didn't, they'd do the surgery then and lose him for an even longer stretch.
The September Return
Tanaka returned to the mound on September 21 against the Blue Jays and earned his 13th win in a 5-2 Yankees victory. Just being out there felt like a miracle. The man had been diagnosed with a partially torn UCL two months earlier, and here he was throwing strikes in a major league game. (Baseball medicine is wild. The guy's elbow was literally held together by hope and platelet-rich plasma.)
But the fairy tale didn't last. In his final start of the season against Boston, Tanaka gave up seven runs (five earned) in just 1 and 2/3 innings. The elbow wasn't right. After the season, he underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow -- not Tommy John, but another reminder that the arm was fragile.
| Contract | 7 years, $155 million |
| MLB Debut | April 4, 2014 vs Toronto |
| First 14 Starts | 11-1, 1.99 ERA, 113 K in 99 IP |
| All-Star Selection | 2014 AL Reserve |
| Injury Date | July 8-9, 2014 |
| Diagnosis | Partial tear, right UCL |
| Return Date | September 21, 2014 vs Toronto |
| Final 2014 Line | 13-5, 2.77 ERA, 20 starts |
The What-If
This is the question that haunts the 2014 season: What if Tanaka's elbow had held? Through 14 starts, he was on pace for roughly 24 wins, over 250 strikeouts, and an ERA under 2.00. Those are Cy Young numbers. Those are "carry a team to the postseason" numbers. The 84-78 Yankees finished 12 games back of Baltimore in the AL East, and it's not hard to imagine that a full season of Tanaka pitching like a front-line ace could've closed that gap significantly.
Instead, the Yankees played the final two months of the season without their best pitcher, watched Derek Jeter's farewell tour play out against the backdrop of another playoff miss, and wondered whether the $155 million investment would ever pay the dividends they'd imagined.
Tanaka would go on to have a solid, if injury-interrupted, career in New York. He was never consistently the pitcher he'd been for those first 14 starts. The partial tear hung over him like a shadow, and the elbow remained a perpetual concern. But for two and a half months in 2014, Masahiro Tanaka showed us what he could've been -- and what the Yankees paid $155 million hoping he'd become.
Yankees Sign Tanaka
Masahiro Tanaka signs a seven-year, $155 million contract with the Yankees, leaving the Rakuten Golden Eagles after going 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in his final NPB season.
MLB Debut
Tanaka makes his major league debut at Rogers Centre against the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning what would be a dominant stretch.
11-1, 1.99 ERA
Through 14 starts, Tanaka is the best pitcher in the American League -- 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 99 innings. He earns an All-Star selection.
UCL Tear Diagnosed
After a rough start against Cleveland, Tanaka is diagnosed with a partial tear of his right UCL. The team opts for PRP therapy instead of Tommy John surgery.
Return from Injury
Tanaka returns to the mound against Toronto and earns his 13th win in a 5-2 victory. The PRP gamble appears to have worked -- at least temporarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Masahiro Tanaka's record before his 2014 injury?
Through his first 14 MLB starts, Tanaka was 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA, striking out 113 batters in 99 innings. He was the first Yankees rookie to win 12 games by the All-Star break and earned a reserve selection to the All-Star Game.
What was Tanaka's injury in 2014?
Tanaka was diagnosed with a partial tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on July 9, 2014. Instead of undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Yankees and Tanaka opted for PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy. He returned to pitch on September 21, missing roughly two and a half months.
Did Masahiro Tanaka have Tommy John surgery?
No. Despite the partial UCL tear, Tanaka avoided Tommy John surgery throughout his Yankees career. The team used PRP therapy and rehabilitation to manage the injury. He did have surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow after the 2014 season.