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Masahiro Tanaka sharp in spring, hopes to start Opening Day

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Mike Carlson/AP

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Masahiro Tanaka has taken an important step towards earning the start for the Yankees on Opening Day.

In his first game appearance since undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow last October, Tanaka tossed two scoreless innings against the Phillies on Sunday at Bright House Field.

“That’s basically the goal, that’s what I’m trying to do,” Tanaka said through his translator when asked about being ready to face the Astros in the opener on April 4. “I’m pretty satisfied how I pitched out there.”

Joe Girardi said before the game that “the most important thing” is for Tanaka to feel good physically on Monday before they continue to map out the rest of his spring.

Asked if Tanaka is his preference to start Opening Day, however, Girardi added, “He (started) Game 1 of the playoffs (last October), and the idea is that he is our No.1 starter. But you have to see how he does and where he is physically… But he’s on course. He’s on pace.”

Tanaka’s fastball topped out at 92 mph on the scoreboard radar gun, and he was aided by a sliding stab to start a double play by Rob Refsnyder, who was making his first start at third base, in the second inning.

“I thought it was huge that Ref made that play for us,” Tanaka said.

Tanaka threw 31 pitches (20 strikes) – eight in a 1-2-3 opening frame and 23 in the second, when he allowed consecutive singles to Maikel Franco and Brock Stassi with no outs. Tanaka also walked Cedric Hunter following Refsnyder’s defensive gem, before striking out David Lough on a 1-2 slider to end the inning.

“Just getting some runners on base, missing my spots here and there, I think that was kind of some of the not-good parts about today,” Tanaka said. “But I think as we go deeper into more games, that should become better.

Tanaka, 27, went 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 24 starts last season, but he’s admitted disappointment in only accumulating only 154 innings in the second season of a seven-year $155 million contract.

The Japanese righty has missed starts due to elbow, wrist, forearm and hamstring injuries over his first two big-league campaigns. Tanaka also lasted just five innings, allowing two runs on four hits, in a 3-0 loss to Houston in last year’s AL Wild Card game.

But he stressed that his elbow “absolutely” feels better after surgery and believes “I can get back to that form” from 2014, when he posted a 2.77 ERA in 20 starts.

“The goal is to go 200 innings,” Tanaka said earlier in camp. “And I think that the important part is to be healthy enough to pitch throughout the season.”

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