Masahiro Tanaka said Friday that his right arm is in good condition ahead of his second big league season with the New York Yankees.
Tanaka led the team in wins last season with 13, despite suffering a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that sidelined him for more than two months. His winter training regimen included more work to strengthen his elbow and shoulder.
"I'm in good shape," he told the press a day after throwing a 21-pitch bullpen in front of pitching coach Larry Rothschild. "I feel like I usually do going into the season. Because I'm able to throw, that's how it feels.
"I know there are people who are focused on whether my elbow (ligament) is torn or not, but I want to do what I can to change that to where the only focus will be on whether I win or lose."
Following a debut season in which he worked alongside right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, Tanaka is now the only Japanese player on the team. Tanaka said he will miss the veteran, who returned to Japan to pitch for the Hiroshima Carp this season.
"Kuroda's presence was something I couldn't begin to know how to measure," Tanaka said. "I want to learn from my other teammates (this year)."
Tanaka, who said he expects to have a little smoother going this year after learning the rhythm of life in the big leagues, is set to throw another bullpen session on Sunday.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said in his press briefing that the pitcher's workload would be under no special restrictions during the spring.