The New York Yankees have gotten off to an incredible start as they have a 6-1 record to begin the 2024 regular season. Ahead of their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays today, manager Aaron Boone announced that reliever Jonathan Loaisiga will be heading to the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain.
This is a massive blow to the back end of the New York Yankees bullpen as Loaisiga was expected to be a major piece in the later innings. He appeared in three games this season and is 1-0 with no runs given up in four innings of work. With the corresponding move, the team called up Danny Santana to replace him on the roster.
With reliever Tommy Kahnle having his throwing program slowed down, he will likely be the next reliever to get back to the Bronx. However, the Yankees placing Loaisiga immediately on the 60-day Injured List instead of the 15 games means the injury is serious.
The New York Yankees made the move retroactive to April 4, meaning the earliest he could return would be June 4 if he returns immediately after the stint on the Injured List is completed. Injuries have been a concern as he has solid stuff but has only appeared in 127 games since the start of the 2021 season out of the bullpen.
Can the New York Yankees survive the blow from the Jonathan Loaisiga injury news?
The Yankees are in a good position to absorb the injury as unfortunately, they have had to do this before. The Bronx Bombers have been dominant with their bullpen the last few years and this season has been no different as they are fourth in MLB with a 1.27 reliever ERA and have a .133 batting average against in 28.1 innings of work.
While the innings may be high, their production has been great. The Yankees have the offense to dominate and this move slides up guys like Ian Hamilton to more prominent roles.
Vincent Pensabene is a journalist who is also a minority owner in Total Apex. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Business and has been an avid sports fans since he could remember. Vincent grew up a huge New York Yankees, New York Jets, Brooklyn Nets and New York Islanders fan but covers sports with an unbiased approach. From breaking down the reasons behind a transfer to breaking news and everything in between, Vincent has written about it all from every angle. Follow him on Twitter @TalkVinTalk and check out his LinkTree to keep up to date with all his work!