Masahiro Tanaka tossed 49 pitches in simulated game

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was able to throw his splitter "worry-free" in a simulated game Thursday, reports MLB.com.

Tanaka, who is trying to work his way back from a partially torn UCL, threw 49 pitches and reported no issues Thursday. He felt "normal" but is still trying to find his command, though infielder Brendan Ryan thought he looked pretty close to ready after facing him during the session.

"He could get outs now on stuff alone," Ryan said.

Tanaka is still working on getting back to full strength, but he still needs to throw at least 75 pitches in a session before the team considers bringing him off the DL. At this point, it seems unlikely he will go on a rehab assignment in the minors.