Oft-injured Yankees reliever placed on 60-day IL with elbow strain

An MRI on Thursday revealed a "significant forearm strain," for Loaisiga, per Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch. He joins ace Gerrit Cole as a critical part of the pitching staff on the 60-day IL dealing with an elbow issue.

In a corresponding move, New York added right-handed journeyman Dennis Santana to the major league roster from Triple-A. He will be in the bullpen for Friday's game. 

Loaisiga has appeared in just 20 games since the start of the 2023 season, making his injury a major blow to the Yankees bullpen. New York came into the season hoping he was healthy and would be one of the key links between the starting rotation and closer Clay Holmes. He looked to be just that in three appearances this year, allowing no runs and striking out three in four innings despite allowing seven hits. 

This line is emblematic of the entire bullpen, which has allowed plenty of base runners but combined for a 1.27 ERA in 28.1 innings and been credited with five of New York's six wins.

The silver lining for New York fans is that Santana had a solid spring for the Yankees, allowing three runs on 12 hits in 9.2 innings with 13 strikeouts even if his career 5.17 ERA in 143 MLB appearances doesn't inspire much confidence. 

Since joining the Yankees, pitching coach Matt Blake has made a name for himself by turning reclamation projects into elite relief pitchers. Fans will hope that the 27-year-old Santana is another diamond in the rough that Blake can turn into a dominant force on the mound. 

If not, the back end of New York's bullpen will be in a tough spot.