Masahiro Tanaka Issues Statement On His Injured Elbow

He issued a heart-felt statement Friday afternoon through the team. 

Tanaka, who is 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA and was a leading contender for the AL Cy Young award, is expected to miss at least six weeks with the partial UCL tear, though there’s no certainty he’ll be able to avoid Tommy John surgery if rehab doesn’t work. 

“I want to apologize to the Yankees organization, my teammates and our fans for not being able to help during this time. I accept this injury as a challenge, but I promise to do everything I can to overcome this setback and return to the mound as soon as possible.”