New York Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga is facing another setback in his career as he will be sidelined for an extended period due to an elbow injury for the second consecutive year. The 29-year-old right-hander has been placed on the 60-day injured list by the Yankees after being diagnosed with a strained right flexor muscle.
The injury was confirmed by Yankees manager Aaron Boone ahead of the team's home opener against Toronto. Boone described it as a significant forearm strain. Loáisiga, who pitched a hitless ninth inning in the recent game against Arizona, had been off to a strong start this season with a 1-0 record in four scoreless innings over three relief appearances.
Boone revealed that the injury occurred towards the end of Loáisiga's outing in the game against Arizona. Despite initially downplaying the severity of the discomfort, Loáisiga's condition raised concerns post-game. This injury comes after Loáisiga was limited to just 17 games last year due to right elbow inflammation.
The Yankees have made the move retroactive to Thursday and have called up right-hander Dennis Santana from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the void left by Loáisiga. Santana, 27, has shown promise in the minor leagues this season, allowing only one run over 1 1/3 innings in two appearances for the RailRiders.
Santana, a veteran of six major league seasons, had a 5.91 ERA in nine games with the New York Mets last year. He signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in December after becoming a free agent in August. Boone expressed confidence in Santana's abilities and emphasized his importance to the team's plans for the season.
Despite the setback with Loáisiga, the Yankees remain optimistic about their pitching depth and are looking forward to Santana's contributions. The team is hopeful that Loáisiga will make a full recovery and return to action later in the season.
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