TAMPA — After initially landing on the injured list with back tightness, the Yankees now fear that Jonathan Loáisiga is dealing with a more serious issue.
Aaron Boone said the right-handed reliever “probably” has a flexor strain on Wednesday. However, the manager added, “We’re getting more opinions on that.”
Loáisiga, on the IL since Aug. 3, appeared in a Triple-A rehab game on Sunday. He recorded a scoreless inning while walking one and striking out one over 16 pitches, but he felt soreness in his elbow/triceps area on Tuesday morning and planned on getting an MRI.
If Loáisiga, who had his 2025 campaign delayed after undergoing elbow surgery last year, does have a flexor strain, it would likely end his season. Boone didn’t want to get ahead of himself, though.
“The different doctors are gathering opinions now and everything, so we’ll see,” he said.
A season-ending injury could also end Loáisiga’s tenure with the Yankees.
A member of the organization since 2016, the 30-year-old’s best season came in 2021, when he recorded a 2.17 ERA over a career-high 70.2 innings. Loáisiga has been an electric late-inning reliever at other times when healthy, but those instances have been hard to come by.
Loáisiga has appeared in just 50 games since totaling 107 games from 2021-2022. Prior to that, he never appeared in more than 15 games in a season.
The Yankees, in a somewhat surprising move, re-signed Loáisiga over the offseason following his surgery. The pact came with a $5 million option, but it’s hard to see the Yankees exercising that with Loáisiga posting a 4.25 ERA over 29.2 innings this year.
The longball has been especially troublesome for him, as he has allowed a career-high seven homers.
CRUZ RETURNING SOON?
Boone said that Fernando Cruz (oblique) could rejoin the Yankees on Friday, but the team will discuss whether it wants the righty reliever to throw in another rehab game.
Cruz is three appearances into his rehab assignment. He mostly recently pitched at Double-A on Tuesday, logging a scoreless inning with three strikeouts.
STILL NO JUDGE UPDATE
Boone said he still doesn’t have a target date for Aaron Judge’s return to the outfield. He is still progressing through his throwing program following a flexor strain, but Boone is waiting on trainers to lift the right fielder’s DH restrictions.
WINANS PROMOTED
With Brent Headrick (left forearm contusion) hitting the IL on Tuesday, the Yankees added Allan Winans to their roster for Wednesday’s series finale against the Rays.
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