Tanaka solid in return

DETROIT — It wasn’t the threehit shutout at Fenway Park in April or the eight scoreless innings against the Rangers in June — and he didn’t strike out 14, like he did in a win over the Rays last month — but Masahiro Tanaka gave the Yankees reason to be encouraged Tuesday.

The right-hander returned from the disabled list with seven solid innings in a 13-4 rout over the Tigers at Comerica Park.

It was Tanaka’s first start since Aug. 9 after he landed on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation.

“It was important to get him back out there and have some success,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We didn’t have to work him too hard.”

Tanaka held a listless Detroit lineup to three runs, while striking out four and walking none, helping the Yankees shake off at least some of their disappointing series against the Red Sox, when they dropped two of three over the weekend. Tanaka said his arm held up fine. “I felt good, no issues,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “I think I went through the [rehab] process well. I gradually built up the strength of [the shoulder]. I wasn’t worried.”

The one blemish against Detroit came in Tanaka’s final inning, when he allowed a pinch-hit double to John Hicks and then a two-run homer to Nicholas Castellanos.

By then, he was pitching with a 10run lead.

Still, it was the 29th home run Tanaka has given up this season, adding to his career high.

For the most part, he met Girardi’s pregame expectations in the 90pitch outing.

“He only missed one start,” the manager said. “He had some tendinitis and arm fatigue, but it’s not like he’s coming off a serious shoulder injury.”

Greg Bird and Starlin Castro need playing time to get back to the Yankees, so their rain-shortened game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wasn’t especially helpful.

Girardi said Bird was “swinging great,” but declined to put a timetable on his potential return after missing much of the season with a right ankle injury.

Bird went 0-for-1 with a sacrifice fly as the DH, while Castro went 1for-2 before the game in Rochester was suspended in the fourth inning.