Manager Joe Girardi and the New York Yankees are still planning to throw Masahiro Tanaka in the wild card game, but it's unclear if he will get a start prior to that.
Tanaka, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, hopes to make a start against the Boston Red Sox this week.
"That's something we have to decide on how he feels. I know everyone wants an answer, but it's really not that simple because of his value to us moving forward," Girardi told the media via MLB.com. "It's something you have to weigh. Is it worth the risk maybe moving it up a day or two days if you need him, to what could possibly happen? It's a careful situation that we're trying to manage. I wish I knew, really."
If Tanaka can't make a start before Thursday, it's possible he will get an inning out of the pen to stay sharp before the wild card game October 6.
"If that was the situation, you kind of talk about it and decide, maybe have him pitch an inning because it's been so long since he's been out there," Girardi said. "Thursday would be the cutoff, yeah."
On the season, Tanaka is 12-7 with a 3.38 ERA.
