Masahiro Tanaka’s recovery from a small tear in the right ulnar collateral ligament isn’t tied to the Yankees’ chances of making the postseason.
Though the Yankees face what looks like an impossible climb in the AL East and have become long shots for the second wild-card ticket, the right-hander continues to make progress in his rehab program with an eye on pitching in a big league game this season.
Tanaka threw breaking balls from a mound for the first time Wednesday, and if there are no problems, he could face hitters Saturday.
“I believe he is supposed to throw to hitters on Saturday so we have to figure out how we are going to do that,’’ manager Joe Girardi said Thursday when the Yankees snapped a two-game skid with a 3-0 win over the Astros at the Stadium. “Our plan is it will probably be here. We have to figure out who he is going to face.’’
Tanaka hasn’t pitched since July 8 in Cleveland.
Zelous Wheeler was the Yankees’ DH against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel Thursday when Carlos Beltran was unavailable because of a barking right elbow. Beltran received a cortisone shot Wednesday after he was scratched from the lineup.
“With Carlos being uncertain for a day or two we felt we could use the extra bat,’’ Girardi said of the right-handed hitting Wheeler, who was with the Yankees from July 3-31, and recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. “We are seeing a lot of lefties so we brought him.’’
Wheeler, who hit ninth, went 0-for-3 with two ground outs and a strikeout.
Wheeler is batting .242 (8-for-33) with two homers and three RBIs in 17 big league games.
As for Beltran, Girardi said he wasn’t sure when the slumping right fielder/designated hitter will return.
“I think we will start to have a pretty good idea by Saturday where we are headed with this,’’ Girardi said.
Beltran, who was on the disabled list earlier this season because of a bone spur in the elbow, said he hopes to swing a bat Friday.
“It’s sore from the injection,’’ Beltran said. “[Friday] I will take some swings and see what I can do. If it’s good, I’ll play. If not, I will take one more day.’’
Whenever Beltran returns, he will attempt to halt a 0-for-14 slide. He has one hit in the last 29 at-bats.
Facing Keuchel also played into Girardi’s decision to start the right-handed hitting Francisco Cervelli and not Brian McCann. That and it being a day game following a night game.
Cervelli went 1-for-3, and Brandon McCarthy credited the catcher with getting him through the middle innings when fatigue set in.
David Phelps — on the DL since Aug. 4 because of an inflamed right elbow — will be a reliever when he returns.
“Obviously we felt we could get him back much quicker [as a reliever],’’ Girardi said of Phelps, who started the season in the bullpen and went into the rotation May 5. He has made 17 starts and last started Aug. 3.
Thursday’s game was played in 2 hours, 7 minutes. That’s the shortest Yankees game since a 1-0 loss at Kansas City on Aug. 15, 2010 that was played in the same amount of time. It was the shortest game at Yankee Stadium since a 2-0 victory over the Twins on June 18, 1996.
Comedian Chris Rock corralled a seventh-inning foul ball behind the Astros’ dugout and was cheered by the crowd. The applause was louder when Rock gave the ball to a youngster sitting behind him.