New York Yankees ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka could return to the mound this weekend after pitching without feeling any pain on Monday.

Tanaka, who has not pitched in the major league since July 8 after being diagnosed with a partial ligament tear in his right elbow, said that he is getting closer to being ready to pitch in an actual game.

The Japanese ace pitcher threw 65 pitches in five scoreless innings in a simulated game against minor league players. While he has yet to reach his peak form, Tanaka said that his condition is getting better.

"As far as my performance goes, I think it's gradually getting better," Tanaka said via ESPN. "It's not really a regular-season- game atmosphere, so it's a little bit hard for me to get myself up to that, but I did feel good."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi liked what he saw from Tanaka on Monday, but he pointed out that they cannot gauge the 25-year-old's health because a simulated game is way different from an actual match.

"It's a simulated game, and as much as you want to simulate that feeling that you get inside as a player, it's not the same," Girardi said via Newsday. "It's not the same as the season, it just isn't. I don't get too caught up in the results. I get caught up in the velocity and how he feels and how the ball's coming out."

Barring any major setback, Girardi said that Tanaka could play against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, which could decide whether or not the Itami, Japan native will need to undergo Tommy John surgery in the offseason.

"I've said all along, we're going to have to get to the point where he's in a real game and there's normal preparation and there's people in the stands and his adrenaline's flowing," Girardi said.

Tanaka went 12-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 18 starts. The right hander was a strong candidate for the Cy Young award and Rookie of the Year honor before sustaining the injury.

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