Jonathan Loaisiga takes next step towards Yankees return as bullpen struggles continue

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.Jonathan Loáisiga is one step closer to returning to the Yankees bullpen.Loáisiga on Saturday began a rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa, throwing a scoreless inning with a strikeout on 10 pitches, as he continues his comeback from UCL surgery last April.The right-hander is likely to need a good chunk of his 30-day rehab clock to build up properly, but the Yankees are eagerly awaiting his return if he looks like the pitcher he has been when healthy in recent years.“When Lo’s been healthy and at his best, he’s a weapon,” manager Aaron Boone said earlier this week.

“I look at it as getting another high-end, high-leverage, really good pitcher back there.I feel like we have a lot of those guys right now and I expect Lo to join that mix when the time is right.”Loáisiga, who re-signed with the Yankees this offseason on a one-year, $5 million contract with a $5 million team option for 2026, has pitched to a 2.89 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 140 ¹/₃ innings over the past four seasons.It has been a struggle for him to stay healthy, though, as he has dealt with multiple elbow and shoulder injuries during that stretch.Aside from Devin Williams, the Yankees bullpen has largely pitched well over the first month of the season, posting a 2.63 ERA if you remove Williams’ 11.25 ERA.

But for a group that is heavy on changeups and splitters from the right side, Loáisiga would offer a different look as a hard-throwing righty whose sinker sits in the upper 90s.The pitch averaged 96 mph in his first rehab outing Saturday.“We don’t really have a harder velo righty with a sinker or [fastball],” pitching coach Matt Blake said this week.

“So that matchup with the righty lane would be good.It’s something we kind of had a lot of with a bit.

Ian [Hamilton] is a little bit of that guy right now but Lo really owns that rol...