logo
Jonathan Loáisiga excels in long-awaited Yankees return: ‘I was missing it'

Jonathan Loáisiga excels in long-awaited Yankees return: ‘I was missing it'

New York Post17-05-2025

The Yankees bullpen got deeper and more dangerous Friday, if slightly more injury-prone.
Jonathan Loáisiga was activated off the injured list in time for the Subway Series in The Bronx, making it back 13 months after undergoing UCL surgery and throwing a scoreless sixth inning in a 6-2 win over the Mets.
'A lot of adrenaline. I was missing it,' Loáisiga said through an interpreter. 'I wanted to be out there, pitching for the team, pitching for the fans. I was really missing it and excited to be back.'
Loáisiga needed just 12 pitches to record three outs, working around a double with a sinker that sat around 96-98 mph.
'The one thing I didn't want [was] the velo to tick up too much,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'Now that next step of, 'Boom, you haven't been out here for a year, you're in Yankee Stadium, it's Subway Series,' so there's just an energy in the building. I thought he did a really good job of controlling that and letting his stuff work. I thought he was really sharp.'
Jonathan Loaisiga walks off the mound fter the sixth inning of the Yankees' 6-2 Subway Series-opening win over the Mets on May 16, 2025.
Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Yankees designated lefty reliever Tyler Matzek for assignment to make room for Loáisiga. They had liked what they saw from the veteran Matzek early in spring training, but upon returning from an oblique strain, he was not sharp in seven appearances.
Loáisiga has been largely strong for the Yankees when healthy, posting a 2.98 ERA in 139 games from 2020-2024. The only problem has been staying off the injured list, which has been a struggle. He missed time in 2019 and 2021 with a shoulder strain and in 2022 with shoulder inflammation, had surgery in 2023 to remove a bone spur in his right elbow, then underwent UCL reconstruction with an internal brace in April of last year after making just three appearances.
Jonathan Loaisiga made his long-awaited return for the Yankees in their win over the Mets.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS
At his best, though, Loáisiga can be a righty killer with a high-90s sinker, providing more of a power look than the rest of the arms the Yankees currently have in their bullpen — a unit that entered Friday with an ERA of 3.47, good for ninth-best in the majors even with Devin Williams' inflated numbers.
The Yankees had initially planned to have Loáisiga finish off his rehab assignment by throwing on back-to-back days this weekend at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but instead brought him back early because of how well he was throwing the ball and bouncing back.
'In the end, we decided he's pitched a lot. He's done everything we've needed him to do,' Boone said. 'He's had probably more than even a normal spring training as far as buildup, and it's just been so good. We feel like we should be able to protect him here in this first week, 10 days, two weeks. We can protect him when he pitches, having him down, things like that. So we'll be mindful of that. 'Just felt like what we've been looking at the last few months, it's been really good.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Volpe and Chisholm Jr. back for Yankees in series finale
Volpe and Chisholm Jr. back for Yankees in series finale

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Volpe and Chisholm Jr. back for Yankees in series finale

Volpe and Chisholm Jr. back for Yankees in series finale originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Yankees will welcome back two key players as they prepare for Sunday night's series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are set to be back in the lineup after limited roles in Saturday's game. Advertisement Volpe, who missed most of Friday's game after being hit in the elbow by a pitch, was used late in Saturday's game. His return to the starting lineup is a relief after he gave Yankees fans a big scare. The young infielder has been a workhorse for the Yankees throughout his career, rarely missing a start and showing improvements at the plate. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has been sidelined with an oblique injury for nearly a month, also appeared as a late substitute on Saturday. He had a scheduled day off Saturday as part of his workload management, but is now ready to return to full action. Chisholm's dynamic presence both offensively and defensively will be a welcome boost for the Yankees as they face one of their division rivals on national TV. New York Yankees infielders Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and Anthony Volpe make a play. © Dave Nelson-Imagn Images Through 61 games, Volpe is hitting .241 with eight home runs, 37 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. His on-base percentage is .321, and his slugging percentage is .445. Advertisement In his first 35 games of the 2025 season, Chisholm is hitting .220 with nine home runs, 23 RBIs, and nine stolen bases, contributing to an OPS of .785. Their defense is also a huge upgrade, which was made obvious last night. Pablo Reyes was limited at third base in Saturday night's loss. The Yankees look to close out the series with a win after splitting the first two games. Related: Jazz Chisholm Jr. Calls for More Trash Talk Ahead of Yankees-Red Sox Finale Related: Red Sox Rookie Stokes Yankees Rivalry Fire in the Bronx This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. pushes back at Hunter Dobbins' Yankees remark
Jazz Chisholm Jr. pushes back at Hunter Dobbins' Yankees remark

Yahoo

time37 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Jazz Chisholm Jr. pushes back at Hunter Dobbins' Yankees remark

Jazz Chisholm Jr. pushes back at Hunter Dobbins' Yankees remark originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Before Sunday night's series finale at Yankee Stadium, Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. was asked about Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins' sharp words. The right-hander who is scheduled to start the finale told the Boston Herald that he'd retire if the Yankees were the last team to offer him a contract. Advertisement Chisholm acknowledged the shade. 'I don't think I would ever say it. I think it closes doors. But I like it though,' Chisholm told reporters. Chisholm is known for expressing himself and he certainly wasn't going to condemn another player for doing so. The comment, however, also shows that he wouldn't let some rookie talk trash without a response. New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Penner-Imagn Images Earlier in the day, Chisholm had promised there would be "smoke," at 7. "I think there should be more trash talk in baseball!!! Anyone agrees!? Anyway free smoke at 7," he tweeted Sunday afternoon. As Dobbins prepares to start his first career game against the Yankees in this storied rivalry, his bold words will put a bullseye on his back. Some players think that playing in the Bronx is a little tougher than, say, Tropicana Field or the Rogers Centre. Advertisement Dobbins will not experience that first-hand -- times 10. Coming off a scheduled day off after a month-long oblique injury, Chisholm is back in the lineup. That first at-bat between Chisholm and Dobbins should be a must-watch. It's the kind of verbal sparring Yankees fans -- and Chisholm -- have been missing in baseball. A little trash talk and an edge between hated rivals add a little spice to this Sunday night game. Related: Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Set to Return for Yankees-Red Sox Finale Related: Jazz Chisholm Jr. Calls for More Trash Talk Ahead of Yankees-Red Sox Finale This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

Judge slams Red Sox rookie with subtle response
Judge slams Red Sox rookie with subtle response

Yahoo

time37 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Judge slams Red Sox rookie with subtle response

Judge slams Red Sox rookie with subtle response originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Aaron Judge had two responses to Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins' silly comments about never wanting to play for the New York Yankees. Advertisement The first was loud, crushing a home run off Dobbins 436 feet in his first at-bat. Then Judge reminded Dobbins that he has a long way to go before anyone cares what he thinks about playing in New York. Judge said he only heard about Dobbins' remarks shortly before a game when ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez brought it up. 'I really didn't hear about it until, I think, Eduardo Perez told me before the game, but I've only heard Ken Griffey Jr. say that. So, I'm a little surprised by that," Judge told reporters. Griffey is a Hall of Famer; he can say what he wants. Dobbins is a promising young pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who needs to remember his place. Advertisement Dobbins told the Boston Herald, 'If the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I'd retire.' New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge reacts to hitting a home run in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 8, 2025. © John Jones-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm, Jr. picked up on the comments before the game and called for more of that kind of trash talk in the game. But Judge is old school, and it obviously rubbed him the wrong way. When asked whether Dobbins' comments were in his mind when he crushed a home run off him in his first at-bat, Judge didn't hesitate. 'Well, yeah, when somebody tells you, yeah,' Judge replied with a smile, clearly fueled by the moment. Despite Judge's big moment, Dobbins earned the win for the Red Sox, showing poise on the mound even as the verbal back-and-forth played out. Advertisement The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry had gotten a little stale in recent years. Dobbing comments might have been ill-advised, especially in the eyes of his agent, but they added some spice to the series. Judge's response on and off the field sent a clear message: words only matter if you can back them up on the field. Related: Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. Delivers Classic Bronx Response to Red Sox Rookie Related: Insider Reveals Yankees' $90 Million Veteran Clock Is Ticking Toward Deadline Looming This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store