The New York Yankees have lost one of their top relievers for the rest of 2024. Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga will have season-ending surgery on his elbow, he told reporters Saturday (via MLB.com). He clarified it will not be Tommy John surgery, though the procedure will sideline him 10-12 months. Loáisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday.
"It was a couple pitches before he finished his outing the other day. At the time he didn't really think it was that big a deal," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday, adding Loáisiga had an MRI on Thursday. "Finished that inning, said something, and then after the game getting with him, I don't think he was too concerned about it. But obviously it is concerning."
Loáisiga, 29, has typically pitched very well when healthy -- he struck out one in a 13-pitch 1-2-3 inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday -- though staying healthy has been a major issue. He has been on the injured list with an arm injury every year since 2016 except the shortened 60-game season in 2020. Last year elbow inflammation limited him to 17 games.
The Yankees are now without four projected bullpen members, and only one is expected back in the near future:
- RHP Tommy Kahnle: Shoulder inflammation (could return in a few weeks)
- RHP Scott Effross: Tommy John surgery and back surgery (out until midseason)
- RHP Lou Trivino: Tommy John surgery (out until midseason)
- RHP Jonathan Loáisiga: Elbow surgery (done for 2024)
Despite the injuries, New York's bullpen has been very good during the team's 6-2 start, throwing 31 1/3 innings with a 2.01 ERA. Setup man Ian Hamilton has been a revelation, striking out seven and allowing only one hit in 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Righty Dennis Santana was called up to replace Loáisiga. Santana, 27, is joining his fourth big league team. He had a 5.17 ERA in 149 2/3 career innings entering 2024, though he impressed this spring and debuted a new cutter that he picked up from former Yankee Frankie Montas over the winter. If nothing else, Santana is capable of throwing multiple innings.
"Confident that can give us more than an inning in some leverage," Boone said about Santana. "Again, especially when it's early in the year, when you are winning games, it takes all of (your bullpen). You can't just ride two, three, four guys on a daily basis. That's been the case so far."
As noted, the Yankees are 6-2 in the early going. They swept four games from the Houston Astros and took two of three from the defending National League champion D-Backs, all on the road, before dropping Friday's home opener to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Loáisiga has a career 3.44 ERA in MLB, including a 2.89 ERA since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2020. He will be a free agent after the season.
