Yankees Provide Update on Jonathan Loáisiga Ahead of Guardians Series
Veteran reliever Jonathan Loáisiga is nearing a return to the mound for the New York Yankees. Manager Aaron Boone shared on Monday that Loáisiga will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa this coming Saturday.
The 30-year-old right-hander is working his way back from elbow surgery that limited him to just four scoreless innings in the 2024 season. Loáisiga avoided Tommy John surgery and instead underwent a different elbow procedure. The Yankees brought him back on a one-year contract with a team option for 2026.
Injuries have significantly impacted Loáisiga’s availability over the past two seasons—he pitched only 21.2 innings during that span due to recurring elbow issues, including surgery in 2023 to remove a bone spur.
Originally shifting between the rotation and bullpen early in his career, Loáisiga found success as a full-time reliever in 2021, posting a 2.17 ERA and 3.3 bWAR across 70.2 innings.
It remains uncertain what role he will take on when he rejoins the Yankees. The team appears set on keeping Devin Williams, despite his struggles, in the closer role for now. Luke Weaver is viewed as a potential replacement if changes are made.
Although Loáisiga started his career as a starter, he has almost exclusively pitched single-inning outings in recent years, making it unlikely he’ll be used in a long relief capacity.
