Masahiro Tanaka threw 49 pitches in a simulated game on the field at Comerica Park on Thursday morning.

The right-hander came out of the session with no pain in his elbow.

"I'm optimistic," Joe Girardi said. "I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe he won't take the next step. At no point has he said he's felt anything in his arm. I think he has normal soreness after a day like today, but I am optimistic."

Tanaka was less enthusiastic after the approximately 30-minute workout.

"I'm actually still not there yet," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I think some of the balls I am throwing I'm still not able to hit my spots. The rust is still there, so I still have some work to do to get back to game-ready."