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Yankees Place Jonathan Loaisiga On 60-Day IL, Select Dennis Santana

By Leo Morgenstern and Steve Adams | April 5, 2024 at 8:57am CDT

8:57am: Loaisiga first felt discomfort in his elbow near the end of his most recent outing on Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone explained to the Yankees beat this morning (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post). He called the injury “concerning,” noting that an MRI conducted last night revealed a “significant” strain. Loaisiga and the team are gathering more information on the injury and will determine next steps for the right-hander once they’ve received additional opinions.

7:35am: The Yankees have placed right-handed reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the team announced. In a corresponding move, the team has selected the contract of right-hander Dennis Santana. He’s joining the big league bullpen.

Loaisiga, 29, has all the makings of a high-end leverage reliever but hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to establish himself in that role. He showed just how dominant he could be back in 2021 when he pitched 70 2/3 innings of 2.17 ERA ball with an above-average 24.4% strikeout rate, a very strong 5.4% walk rate and a sensational 60.6% ground-ball rate. The Nicaraguan-born righty averaged a blazing 98.4 mph on his sinker that season, notched an excellent 13.7% swinging-strike rate and posted a mammoth 41.1% opponents’ chase rate on pitches off the plate.

Unfortunately for both the Yankees and for Loaisiga, that’s the only season in which he’s ever thrown even 50 big league innings. Loaisiga has only reached even 20 appearances in two seasons. Since committing to a bullpen role in 2020, he’s delivered 163 1/3 innings with a 2.98 ERA (3.34 FIP, 3.42 SIERA), 20.3% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 58% grounder rate. There’s little doubting the raw talent is there to make him a star bullpen arm, but he’s missed time due to a shoulder strain, subsequent shoulder inflammation, elbow inflammation (twice) and now a flexor strain that’ll sideline him into at least the early summer months.

If Loaisiga’s absence extends further than that 60-day minimum, it’s feasible this could spell the end of his time in the Bronx entirely. The right-hander has five-plus years of major league service time and is slated to become a free agent at season’s end.

Santana, 27, signed a minor league pact with the Yankees back in early December. Like Loaisiga, he features a power sinker and strong ground-ball rates when at his best, but he hasn’t found nearly the same success and consistency that Loaisiga has when healthy.

Once one of the Dodgers’ top-ranked pitching prospects, Santana has bounced to the Rangers, Mets and now Yankees since leaving Los Angeles. He’s pitched just 149 2/3 innings in the big leagues and has a pedestrian 5.17 ERA to show for it (though a 4.26 FIP and 4.47 SIERA are a bit more favorable). Santana has averaged just under 96 mph on his sinker in his career and has kept the ball on the ground at a nearly 50% clip since adopting that as his primary offering. But he’s walked more than 12% of his big league opponents and struggled with men on base, resulting in a well below-average strand rate that’s helped to inflate his ERA.

Santana has regularly missed bats at a high level in the upper minors, and his power sinker fits a mold that the Yankees tend to prefer out of their late-inning relievers. He’ll need to improve his command, but Santana wouldn’t be the first relatively obscure arm to break out with the Yankees if he can get himself on track in the Bronx. He’s out of minor league options, however, so it could be a short stint on the 40-man roster if the Yankees feel they need to open another spot in the near future. If he gets a decent leash and can find some success, he’s controllable through the 2026 season via arbitration.

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New York Yankees Newsstand Transactions Dennis Santana Jonathan Loaisiga

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View Comments (62)
Post a Comment

62 Comments

  1. Yankee Clipper

    1 year ago

    NO! T…..J…..S incoming. Ugh, he’s so good and we finally got him back. Good luck with your recovery Johnny Lasagna!

    13
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      1 year ago

      Jinx Clip, you owe me a Coke! Same time on our posts lol

      6
      Reply
    • LordD99

      1 year ago

      Loáisiga has awesome stuff but poor health. I was watching him pitch the other day wondering when he’d hit the IL. Today. Sooner than I thought!

      3
      Reply
      • deweybelongsinthehall

        1 year ago

        This hurts. When healthy he’s so underrated yet he can’t stay on the field like so many others.

        4
        Reply
        • NYCityRiddler

          1 year ago

          Too bad, I always enjoyed lasagna boy’s cooking. Time for some new menu items. Ahahaha!

          Reply
      • Frankie Bani

        1 year ago

        He will get company soon with Stanton as soon he hit to homerun game

        Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      1 year ago

      Not sure Clip. He’s avoided surgery the last two times he had elbow injuries. Feel bad for the guy.

      2
      Reply
      • Yankee Clipper

        1 year ago

        YBC: I hope you’re right, brother. If he can avoid it that would be amazing. But, he is very much like the RP version of Sevy, you’re right. Amazing stuff, no health.

        Reply
    • Anthony maresca

      1 year ago

      Is is not good at all. He done crap in past 2 yrs now. He is a free agent so time to say goodbye!

      2
      Reply
      • deweybelongsinthehall

        1 year ago

        Name many better for the role he filled WHEN HEALTHY. Unfortunately, he’s always hurt.

        Reply
    • DR2020

      1 year ago

      You have to admit clipper, you knew this was coming. we spend more time actually waiting for this guy to return then watching him pitch. It will actually be a relief when the Yankees finally let him go, and stop relying on him.

      2
      Reply
      • Yankee Clipper

        1 year ago

        That is true. Tantalizing talent with the frustration of repeated injuries. I was glad they didn’t plan on him for this year too. As we see, our pitching is already dropping like flies.

        1
        Reply
  2. Gwynning

    1 year ago

    Is Johnny Lasagna baked?

    15
    Reply
    • CravenMoorehead

      1 year ago

      Bro is cooked 🙁

      6
      Reply
    • swagsuperawesomeepiccoolman123

      1 year ago

      nah, I think he’s burnt

      3
      Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      1 year ago

      Hope his arm isn’t a noodle.

      5
      Reply
      • Gwynning

        1 year ago

        I hope he doesn’t turn into some cheesy meme!

        5
        Reply
    • This one belongs to the Reds

      1 year ago

      Is he related to Tommy Lasagna?

      1
      Reply
      • Gwynning

        1 year ago

        g.co/kgs/9FsrZcF

        1
        Reply
  3. ssowl

    1 year ago

    Yankees back of bullpen is very thin

    Reply
    • jerseyjohn

      1 year ago

      Effross, Kahnle, and Trivino are all coming back at least theoretically. I love Johnny but health is always fleeting with him.

      5
      Reply
    • PoisonedPens

      1 year ago

      Which makes the Nick Martinez dump all the more perplexing….

      2
      Reply
      • mrmackey

        1 year ago

        If he’s the answer to a problem, then you’re screwed.

        2
        Reply
        • jerseyjohn

          1 year ago

          Mostly agree, unless the problem is rotating a fresh depth arm up as needed.

          Reply
  4. Dorothy_Mantooth

    1 year ago

    Cashman will be making some trades soon. He always takes care of his bullpen.

    1
    Reply
  5. robluca21

    1 year ago

    Poor guy gets hurt all the time ever since he was in the giants system. His days as a yankee are probably finished. I think he’s a free agent after this year? Or maybe his last arbitration year.

    2
    Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      1 year ago

      FA after season.

      1
      Reply
      • jmoon807

        1 year ago

        Thank God. Release him now.

        Reply
        • 28rings

          1 year ago

          no point in releasing him – we have to pay him anyway – 60 day IL he’s off the 40 man roster – why risk a second opinion or a recovery without surgery and he ends up on another team on our dime?

          1
          Reply
      • DR2020

        1 year ago

        Good

        Reply
  6. Salzilla

    1 year ago

    Ugh hate hearing it. This guy is good, but injuries keep piling up.

    1
    Reply
  7. Fraham_

    1 year ago

    Great job trying to make an injury prone guy your long reliever!

    Reply
  8. Manfred’s playing with the balls

    1 year ago

    Glad to see the Yankees facial hair policy doesn’t extend to neck tattoos

    5
    Reply
  9. just_thinkin

    1 year ago

    It begins.

    Reply
  10. TAKERDBACKS

    1 year ago

    Hate the Yankees but that kid is a beast and it’s a shame. He has hall of fame stuff.But it shows you that there is something wrong with pitchers these days. The trainings must be wrong

    2
    Reply
    • Lars MacDonald

      1 year ago

      It’s the speed gun/max effort on every pitch mindset that pitchers are taught.

      Pitchers used to pace themselves and use guile and deception vs throwing every pitch like it was their last.

      1
      Reply
  11. This one belongs to the Reds

    1 year ago

    It doesn’t sound like Santana is very “Smooth”.

    Reply
  12. Lars MacDonald

    1 year ago

    The 8:57am update is ominous.

    1
    Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      1 year ago

      Home opener at 1pm today so needed to make a move.

      Reply
  13. RynoScoobs

    1 year ago

    Ugh. This is horrible. Was hoping for a big year from Johnny.

    1
    Reply
  14. Jason Hanselman

    1 year ago

    SEE YA

    Reply
  15. King Floch

    1 year ago

    Friggin’ RIP 🙁

    The 2024 pitcher injury train can’t stop, won’t stop.

    Reply
  16. YanksPhan42

    1 year ago

    The pen talent we have on IR alone is better than what half the teams employ! Ugh.
    Effross, Lasagne, Trivino and Khanle.
    Need some guys to step up and the rest to stay healthy!

    Reply
  17. Sunday Lasagna

    1 year ago

    So this guy in 50 minor league appearances made 45 starts, and prior to 2021, 44 of 45 appearances as a starter.
    In 2020 he throws just 23 innings, 9 relief appearances and 3 spot starts.

    His arm did not have a history of having to throw often.

    In 2021, the Yankees use him in 57 games, 70 innings – the most often he had ever thrown in the major or minor leagues.

    In 6 appearances with no rest, a 7.71 ERA
    In 20 appearances with 1 day rest a 3.97 ERA
    All appearances with more than 1 day of rest an ERa of less than 1
    Overall ERA 2.17

    Statistically it was obvious that his arm was not responding well to short rest, he didn’t have a history of pitching out of the bullpen……but the Yankees just kept running him out there on short rest. Almost half of his 57 appearances

    He has never been the same again.

    So where were the analytics gurus to tell Boone not to use him with less than 2 days rest?

    Where were the Trainers and Player Development folks to tell Boone that this guys arm hadn’t been prepared to be used so often?

    1
    Reply
    • whyhayzee

      1 year ago

      Boonedoggle does what he wants, analytics be damned. There will be more injuries this year, he’s already working on Burring up Hamilton.

      Reply
    • StudWinfield

      1 year ago

      And how does this compare to other high leverage relievers? Maybe his arm is just incapable of handling a full time relievers workload.

      Reply
      • whyhayzee

        1 year ago

        what the heck is a “full time relievers workload”? If you’re throwing a guy out there every other game and it’s always a high leverage situation, do you expect any guy to last very long? Boonedoggle literally tries to win every game and overuses all his best relief pitchers. That’s why so many injuries and a revolving door bullpen. And even when they get to the postseason, which is all the time, they implode. Error in Judgement hits .200, starters get pulled in the third inning, a couple of relievers get shelled, and their gone in a heartbeat for another year. I don’t know, maybe the fans think it’s great to stick out their chests about their annual “success”. Snell and Monty and the other free agent starers have sniffed it, while the bullpen guys are lining up because “it’s a job”, knowing full well that if they have success, they will be hoping for a trade or free agency before they are burned to a crisp.

        Where are King, Abreu, Peralta from last year? Where’s Luetge from the year before? Chapman and Chad Green? Holder? Cessa? Ottovino? Britton? Countless guys injured, or careers ended, or very little success after getting abused by Boonedoggle.

        Reply
        • StudWinfield

          1 year ago

          45-60 appearances, 60-70 innings. Of all the pitchers you mentioned only Green can be considered a usage casualty. To suggest that Chapman’s performance and injury issues were usage related is just silly. Any excuse to hate on Boone.

          Reply
  18. Frankie Bani

    1 year ago

    Nick Johnson 1B version, hands always hurts

    Reply
  19. alumofuf

    1 year ago

    Time to make a trade

    Reply
  20. 28rings

    1 year ago

    the second most shocking news to hit NY today

    1
    Reply
    • YankeesBleacherCreature

      1 year ago

      Quite earth-shattering to us fans

      1
      Reply
      • DR2020

        1 year ago

        What a surprise. I knew it was going to happen sooner rather than later. The only enigma is why the Yankees continue to rely on this guy as a main bullpen piece. He is always injured.

        Reply
  21. whyhayzee

    1 year ago

    Dr. Boonedoggle works his magic, burning up those arms as quickly as humanly possible.

    Who in their right mind would want to pitch for this team?

    Reply
  22. misterb71

    1 year ago

    Here we go again. I’m not going to suggest the Yankees are the only team suffering a number of injuries up and down the roster — clearly they’re not alone. But it should lead to questions about the team’s strength and conditioning program. Not counting the recently acquired Brubaker, the team is carrying five on the 60-day IL and four more on short-term IL. If you count Brubaker the Yankees roster 10% of all 60-day IL players in the Majors today (58 across all MLB). Is it really just bad luck or is there something else going on here?

    Reply
    • whyhayzee

      1 year ago

      it’s overuse, the single largest cause of injuries in every human activity.

      Reply
  23. Mrski

    1 year ago

    Ok. Make the call. Ryan Weber

    Reply
  24. SODOMOJO

    1 year ago

    Wow, had no idea Denny Santana ended up in the Bronx

    Reply
  25. Old York

    1 year ago

    Next man up.

    Reply
  26. DR2020

    1 year ago

    Yes, quite true

    Reply
  27. oneiblnd

    1 year ago

    Nestor is headed there next.

    Reply
  28. FOmeOLS

    1 year ago

    Man, the Yankees are cursed so far this season. God grant them some injury-free weeks soon.

    Reply

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