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OAKLAND, Calif. -- New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka will start Wednesday at the Seattle Mariners after nearly six weeks on the disabled list with wrist and forearm injuries. Yankees manager Joe Girardi made the announcement before Friday night's game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum after speaking with Tanaka, who arrived here from New York on Thursday night.  "We just wanted to make sure he felt good, that he felt he was ready to go and he felt good about it," Girardi said. Added Tanaka, through an interpreter, after playing catch briefly in the outfield: "Obviously, I'm feeling good right now, feeling healthy. I don't have much expectations. I just want to go out there and pitch the best way I can so that I can give a chance for the team to win that particular game." Tanaka last pitched April 23, when he allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Tigers in Detroit to earn his second win of the season. He reported pain in his wrist after a bullpen session a few days later, and a subsequent MRI revealed wrist tendinitis along with a forearm strain. Tanaka made two rehab starts for Triple-A Scranton. In the most recent start on Wednesday, he allowed three earned runs on four hits, including a home run, in three innings against Pawtucket, the Boston Red Sox affiliate. Tanaka attributed that performance to a lack of command and said his $155 million right arm, already compromised by a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament, is pain free. "I'm feeling good right now, but there are always going to be ups and downs when you go out on the mound,'' Tanaka said. "I think I was not hitting my spots [Wednesday] when I needed to, so that part, I was a little bit off on that day. All I'm thinking is just trying to go out there and trying to be my best." In his only career appearance against the Mariners, Tanaka threw a complete game last June 11, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out 11 in a 4-2 win. He is 2-1 this season with a 3.22 ERA.
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