CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Yes, there is still a lot of spring training to go, probably six more starts, and in Joe Girardi's famous question from a couple of years back regarding Ivan Nova: "What if he gets hit by a bus?"
But assuming that will not happen, Masahiro Tanaka will be the New York Yankees' Opening Day starter, and he took an important step with two scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday in his first outing against hitters since last October's wild-card loss to the Houston Astros.