TAMPA — Larry Rothschild knows better than most the shaky state of the Yankees starting rotation.
And though the pitching coach said he has liked what he has seen from the starters who have spent time here before next week’s start of spring training, as well as what he’s heard about Masahiro Tanaka, he’s also aware questions will linger into the regular season, regardless of what happens before Opening Day.
“Everyone has looked good so far,” Rothschild said outside of Steinbrenner Field. “But you can’t really tell anything this early. There’s still too much work to do.”
That can be said for just about every member of the rotation — including Tanaka, who arrived in New York Monday and threw off a mound for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in October.
“From what I’ve been told, his throwing program was right on target,” Rothschild said. “He’s on schedule to have a normal spring training and season. We’ll have to monitor his rest and his elbow, but that goes for a lot of guys.”
Especially in The Bronx, where Tanaka will join CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Ivan Nova as starters who have had some injury issues in the last year. Coupled with the inexperience of Luis Severino and Bryan Mitchell, Rothschild figures to have his work cut out for him — but he’s cautiously optimistic.
“CC looks better than I’ve seen him in a few years,” Rothschild said of the lefty, who made a brief appearance in Tampa last week. “The rest of the guys that have been here have done solid work.”
One member of the staff who he has yet to see pitch live is Aroldis Chapman.
“Only on tape,” Rothschild said of Chapman, who was acquired from Cincinnati in a trade in December and could be suspended at the start of the season because of an alleged domestic violence incident. “He throws hard. That’s what I know.”
Chapman will join Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances in perhaps the game’s top back-end of a bullpen, but how the Yankees will get them the ball with a lead remains to be seen.