Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Has torn UCL, needs surgery
Rotowire
Loaisiga said Saturday that he has a torn UCL in his right elbow and will need season-ending surgery, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Loaisiga's comments don't come as a major surprise after he was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday with what manager Aaron Boone said was a "significant" flexor strain. While Loaisiga will have to treat the injury with surgery, he said that he won't require Tommy John surgery and instead set to undergo a procedure that will carry a recovery timeline of 10-to-12 months. The loss of Loaisiga for the season is another blow to a Yankees bullpen that's already without Tommy Kahnle (shoulder), Lou Trivino (elbow) and Scott Effross (back) to begin the season.
Loaisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list by the Yankees on Friday, retroactive to April 4, with a right flexor strain.
Per Greg Joyce of the New York Post, manager Aaron Boone said it's a "significant" strain. Loaisiga will meet with doctors Friday, and surgery would seem to be on the table. The right-hander ended last season on the injured list with an elbow issue and has a long history of arm problems.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Slated for spring debut
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Loaisiga (elbow) will make his Grapefruit League debut Thursday against the Red Sox, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Loaisiga hasn't been injured, but the Yankees have simply elected to bring him along slowly this spring after he ended last season on the injured list with a right elbow injury. There are just two weeks from the date of Loaisiga's first spring appearance and Opening Day, but the Yankees haven't offered any indication that the right-handed reliever is in danger of missing out on a roster spot.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Could stretch out in relief role
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The Yankees are considering using Loaisiga as a multi-inning reliever in 2024, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
The goal, it seems, would be to use Loaisiga similarly to how they initially used Michael King last season before he shifted into the rotation. King would often throw multiple innings and would then be given one day of rest for every frame he threw. Of course, Loaisiga needs to be healthy first before the Yankees even worry about how they'll use him. The 29-year-old has been a frequent visitor to the injured list and was limited to just 17 appearances in 2023 because of a pair of elbow-related issues. The Yanks are also considering Ian Hamilton for a multi-inning relief role.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Gets $2.5 million from Yankees
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Loaisiga was limited to only 17.2 innings during 2023 due to an elbow injury and subsequent aggravation of the issue. He's expected to be healthy entering 2024 and could handle a high-leverage role out of the bullpen.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Done for season
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) has been ruled out for the rest of the season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The Yankees don't believe Loaisiga is dealing with a serious elbow injury, per Hoch, but he'll still be sent to New York for an MRI. Loaisiga has dealt with durability issues his whole career, with 2021 representing the only season in which he logged over 50 MLB innings. He finishes the 2023 campaign with a 3.06 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and six strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Back on IL with sore elbow
Rotowire
Loaisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right elbow inflammation.
Loaisiga missed four months earlier this season with the same injury and is now on the shelf again. He will be eligible to return during the final week of the season, but he and the Yankees might decide it's best to shut things down for the year at this point. Loaisiga has shown the ability to be a dynamic late-inning relief arm when healthy, but he's dealt with numerous shoulder and elbow issues the last few seasons.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Comes back from IL
Rotowire
The Yankees reinstated Loaisiga (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Monday.
In order to open up a spot for Loaisiga on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated right-hander Deivi Garcia for assignment. Loaisiga is back with the Yankees for the first time since early April, when he was shut down due to a bone spur in his right elbow. He ultimately required surgery but was cleared to start a throwing program in mid-June before being sent out for a rehab assignment July 30. Loaisiga pitched well in his three rehab appearances and has served as a high-leverage reliever for the Yankees when healthy over the past three seasons, but manager Aaron Boone could look to ease the right-hander back into the bullpen with a few lower-pressure innings before deploying him as a setup man.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Expected back Monday
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) will likely be activated from the injured list Monday, Max Goodman of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Loaisiga was placed on the IL in early April due to right elbow inflammation and has remained there since. The right-handed reliever has been rehabbing in the minors since late July and most recently tossed an inning Friday, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three batters. Despite that rough outing, Loaisiga appears ready to rejoin a Yankees bullpen that has posted easily the best collective ERA (3.07) in the majors this season.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Likely to return next week
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list early next week, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Loaisiga began his rehab assignment Sunday at Single-A Tampa, striking out two over two perfect innings. He'll move his rehab to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday for his second appearance, and he could get one final tune-up outing in the minors this weekend. If Loaisiga's surgically repaired elbow checks out OK, he'll likely rejoin the New York bullpen at some point during the club's upcoming three-game series versus the White Sox.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Beginning assignment Sunday
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa on Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Loaisiga underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in May and will likely make several appearances in the minors before returning to the Yankees' bullpen. The 28-year-old made only three appearances before landing on the IL, surrendering one run across 3.1 innings.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Nearing rehab assignment
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment as early as Saturday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander threw 16 pitches in a live batting practice session Sunday, most notably facing Aaron Judge (toe) in the workout. Loaisiga, who underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in early May, is now on the cusp of a return to game acton. He'll likely require at least a few appearances in the minors before returning from the 60-day injured list.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Set to face live hitters soon
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) is close to throwing a live bullpen session, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Loaisiga underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in early May and was subsequently moved to the 60-day IL. The righty reliever began a throwing program in mid-June and recently progressed to mound work. Throwing to live hitters will represent another step forward in Loaisiga's recovery, and a minor-league rehab stint may follow soon thereafter. There is a possibility that Loaisiga could return to the big-league bullpen before the end of July.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Returns to mound work
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) completed a 10-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Loaisiga started up his throwing program in mid-June and returned to the mound Sunday for the first time since he underwent surgery in early May to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. The 28-year-old is already eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL, but he's likely still at least a few weeks away from rejoining the active roster.
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Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga: Begins throwing program
Rotowire
Loaisiga (elbow) started a throwing program earlier this week, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Loaisiga is just doing light games of catch for now, but it's an encouraging step forward following several weeks of rest and rehab. He has been out since early April due to an elbow injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery in early May. The 28-year-old right-hander could be an option for the Yankees again in the second half.
The Yankees transferred Loaisiga (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
This move clears out a 40-man roster spot for Ryan Weber, who is joining the Yankees' bullpen ahead of their four-game series against the AL East-leading Rays. Loaisiga underwent surgery earlier this month to remove a bone spur from his right elbow and is expected to be sidelined until late in the 2023 season.
