Masahiro Tanaka will be the New York Yankees‘ opening day starter March 28

SARASOTA Glen Perkins Jersey , Fla. (AP) — against Baltimore, taking the spot left open by Luis Severino’s shoulder trouble.Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the decision before Saturday night’s spring training game with the Orioles.Tanaka is replacing Severino, who will not make the start at Yankee Stadium because of right shoulder inflammation. Severino was scratched from his first planned start of spring training on Tuesday after feeling discomfort after throwing his first slider in a pregame bullpen session.“Masa has clearly shown through his life really that he’s really good in the big spot,” Boone said.Yankees newcomer James Paxton will start the second game and J.A. Happ will pitch the third game against the Orioles.Tanaka discussed what it means to start the opener after his outing Friday night against the Detroit Tigers.“Obviously, if you’re given the opportunity to pitch on that day, you want to go out and do your best http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey ,” Tanaka said through a translator. “If you look back, I don’t think I’ve necessarily been good on opening days. I’ve gotten some experience. We’ve gone through playoffs. So, if that situation were to arise, I can go out there and give a good performance.”Tanaka has made three previous opening day starts (2015-17) for the Yankees. New York lost all three games, with Tanaka charged with the loss in two.Severino had his first opening day assignment last year.Tanaka was 12-6 with 3.75 ERA in 27 starts last season.CC COMING ALONGLHP CC Sabathia threw 31 pitches in his fourth bullpen session and said afterwards that his first batting practice outing is likely next. The 38-year-old lefty had a stent inserted in December after a blockage was found in an artery from his heart and has had chronic right knee problems that required several operations. Sabathia, retiring after the season Paul Molitor Jersey , is expected to miss his first two or three regular season starts. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka wants to keep on hitting and running the bases at NL ballparks, hoping use of the designated hitter does not spread to the National League.The New York Yankees pitcher missed a month last season after hurting both hamstrings while running the bases during a June 8 game at the New York Mets.The players’ association has proposed extending the DH to the NL, a plan baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says is too complex to consider for this year.“I did get injured, but when you look at it I grew up where baseball was played by nine guys, meaning basically the pitcher would hit also Tony Oliva Jersey , and I really enjoyed that baseball,” Tanaka said Tuesday through a translator at New York’s spring training complex.Despite winning 100 games last season, the Yankees still wound up second in the AL East behind Boston. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the Division Series and went on to their fourth title in 15 seasons.“Boston had the upper hand last season but, hopefully, we’ll get together as a team and then we’ll take that spot this year,” Tanaka said.New York added starting pitcher James Paxton http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , reliever Adam Ottavino, infielder DJ LeMahieu and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki during the offseason.“It’s obviously a better team now,” Tanaka said. “The additions, it’s definitely going to help us out as a team. We have this good team now and I think that we have a real good chance of getting to where we want to be this year.”New York pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report Wednesday, a day before workouts start.