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Masahiro Tanaka looks fantastic in return from disabled list

Masahiro Tanaka came into his start Wednesday on an 80-pitch limit. It was his first start after spending a month on the disabled list with a forearm strain. For 80 pitches, the New York Yankees had to figure they'd get five innings out of Tanaka. Maybe he'd get into the sixth.

Well, Tanaka exceeded all expectations against the Seattle Mariners.

He pitched seven complete innings, striking out nine and allowing just three hits and one run. It was a tidy 78-pitch day for Tanaka and a very encouraging outing for a pitcher we've had questions about since spring training. He hit 95 mph on the radar gun a few times, possibly shushing those early-season worries about his velocity. The Yankees won 3-1, completing a sweep of struggling Mariners.

Tanaka is pitching through a UCL tear in his elbow, which makes him a ticking time bomb. Most of the time, UCL trouble means Tommy John surgery, but since Tanaka's is only a partial tear, he can pitch through it. The ligament might snap at any time, though, and then he'll need surgery. Could be two weeks. Could be two years. Until then, each pitch is an adventure.

Wednesday was the good kind of adventure — a definite up in an up-and-down season for Tanaka thus far. He didn't come out of the gate strong in 2015, lasting four innings and five innings in his first two starts. He did well in his third start, pitching seven shutout innings and surrendering just two hits against the Rays. This time around, he showed us the version of himself that became the Yankees ace in his first MLB season.

A healthy and effective Tanaka is nothing but good news for the Yankees. They've been better than expected this season, sitting in first place in the AL East with a 29-25 record after Wednesday's victory. Making a run into the postseason is possible in a sluggish division and it's even more possible if Tanaka can pitch like he did in his return from the DL.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!