Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka released from hospital after taking Giancarlo Stanton line drive to head
NEW YORK — Masahiro Tanaka was released from New York-Presbyterian Saturday evening for tests and observation after being hit in the head by a comebacker during live batting practice. The veteran right-hander was hit by a Giancarlo Stanton line drive on the right, top side of his head.
“He had concussion-like symptoms originally before leaving for the hospital that have since dissipated. He went through a battery of tests at the hospital. Everything checked out well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced. “He had a CT scan, it’s negative. … I would say right now he’s doing well. He’ll go into the concussion protocol. But I feel like we’re getting good news on that front.”
Tanaka tweeted after leaving the hospital. “I feel it a bit right now, but I’m all good,” he said. “Going to try to get back on the mound ASAP!”
When he was hit, the Japanese right-hander immediately crumbled to the dirt on the mound as Stanton and catcher Kyle Higashioka rushed to him, followed quickly by four trainers.
It was an ominous start to what was an odd Saturday at Yankee Stadium, the team’s first official day of summer training after a three-month hiatus forced on baseball by the coronavirus pandemic. Players reported to their home stadiums on Wednesday to begin intake testing under the MLB/MLBPA health and safety protocols as they try to prepare for a 60-game regular season beginning July 23.
Infielder DJ LeMahieu and pitcher Luis Cessa were not there, having tested positive for COVID-19 before traveling to New York, Boone announced. Catcher Gary Sanchez and closer Aroldis Chapman were also not on the field, which Boone said was due to travel issues. They were in New York, but still awaiting the results of their in-take COVID testing, Boone explained.
It was like an eerie and strange extended pre-game workout.
Pitchers played catch, with Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery throwing on the mound. There were infield and outfield drills. Higashioka did catching drills in the visitors’ bullpen.
Ear-shattering alarms went off twice in the stadium and outside sirens and fireworks boomed, echoing through the stadium.
But by far the most alarming sound was the quiet pall that fell over the field as Tanaka was down.
Trainers sat Tanaka up after five minutes and conducted an on-field concussion test before he got up and walked off the field on his own power. Two trainers walked on either side of him, steadying him down the dugout stairs.
Stanton retreated to the dugout where he stayed the rest of the live batting practice only emerging for outfield drills about half an hour later.
“Right away I went to check in on (Stanton) as well, just ‘How you doing, you OK?’ I think he was somewhat OK and I think a little bit of relief to see him walk off and then seemed to be at least OK immediately,” Boone said. “And then we were able to let (Stanton) know a little bit later he was doing well. So, I don’t necessarily want to speak for (Stanton), but he seemed to handle it as well as could have been expected.”
The atmosphere had been light as the team was just starting live batting practice. Music pumped over the stadium sound system and teammates tried to follow social distancing recommendations as they tried to find some kind of normal on the field.
Tanaka was facing his third batter of the day. He did not use a protective screen, as most pitchers prefer to simulate life-like pitching as they ramp up in spring training.
Jordan Montgomery, who was in the bullpen warming up as Tanaka was hurt, came out to finish the live batting practice. He requested the protective screen be put out there, admitting he was rattled by the incident.
“I hadn’t planned on it but after seeing that I would have kind of had that in the back of my head, scared me,” Montgomery said. “And so we put it up.”
Tanaka, who is entering his final year of his contract with the Yankees, is a huge part of a rotation that has already lost Luis Severino for the season to Tommy John surgery. Domingo German is also out for the regular season, serving the remainder of his suspension under the MLB/MLBPA joint domestic violence policy.
In six seasons in pinstripes, Tanaka has become the pitcher that Yankees fans have trusted the most, especially in the playoffs, and with good reason. In 164 games, Tanaka is 75-43 with a 3.75 ERA. In eight playoff games and 46 career postseason innings, however, Tanaka has a 1.76 ERA. He’s allowed just nine earned runs, striking out 37 and walking just 11.
Part of what is so compelling about Tanaka is his evolution as a pitcher. When he arrived in New York in 2014, he threw harder and suffered a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Instead of having Tommy John, however, Tanaka rehabbed and evolved. In 2019, when the changed baseball was not conducive to Tanaka’s signature splitter, he adapted.
“I mean it obviously sucks to see something like that,” Aaron Hicks said. “Especially in something as simple as a sim game.”
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