Yankees ‘always open’ to trade help post-Masahiro Tanaka injury, Brian Cashman says

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks with reporters following news Masahiro Tanaka was placed on the disabled list.

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NEW YORK — While the Yankees expect to fill the void Masahiro Tanaka‘s injury has left internally, general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t put his cell phone on silent.

“We’re always open to outside help,” Cashman said before the Yankees faced the Mets at Citi Field on Saturday, “no matter what time of the year it happens to be.”

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Earlier in the day, the team said Tanaka, a righty starting pitcher, would hit the 10-day disabled list with soreness in both hamstrings.

Tanaka suffered the injury running from third base to home on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning of Friday’s 4-1 win over the Mets in Queens. He immediately left the game.

Tanaka and manager Aaron Boone each said they didn’t know how long Tanaka would be iced. Boone said he thought it was “very possible” the 28-year-old could return before the All-Star break, which stars July 19.

Cashman said he wasn’t sure either.

“I’ll throw a month out there, I don’t know,” the general manager said. “Could be sooner, that could be long. But I’d rather under promise and over perform on everything if we can.”

Losing Tanaka is another blow to a Yankees rotation that lost lefty Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery on Thursday. Montgomery might not be ready to pitch in the majors until 2020. Domingo German has jumped into Montgomery’s place but has only been mediocre.

Cashman said the team expects to use somebody already in the organization to fill Tanaka’s place.

While Cashman said he had a good idea whom he’d pick, he declined to tell reporters.

Cashman did say one of the options, right-hander Luis Cessa will throw 60 pitches in a rehab start for High-A Tampa on Monday. Cessa has made two extended spring training starts, topping out at 45 pitches.

Cessa has been on the disabled list since April 19 with a left oblique strain. The 26-year-old made 14 career big-league starts.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.