Now that the anguish over the magnitude of the injury suffered by the speedy Nicaraguan shooter Jonathan Loáisiga has dissipated, it only remains to be patient about the rehabilitation process that should bring him back to the hill before the end of this season.
Loáisiga, who this year became the best reliever for the Yankees and one of the best in the Major Leagues, has been out of action since Sept. 3 when he presented a right shoulder strain and was sent for ten. days to the injured list.
However, the “Pistolero de Las Sierritas de Santo Domingo” began a program of launches last Friday from flat terrain and the results were satisfactory, so this week the pace will intensify a bit, so that he returns for the final week to the box.
“This Monday he will have a rest, but this week he is going to throw three times from off the mound, before going up to a box and making a bullpen possibly for the weekend, with the objective that he is ready to throw in the last week of the season with the team, ”said pitching coach Matt Blake.
Loisiga has played a super valuable role for the Yankees this year coming out of the bullpen. At the time of injury, he had acted in 54 games and posted a record of 9-4 and 2.25 in 68 innings, with 55 hits allowed, 16 earned runs, three home runs, 15 bases and 66 strikeouts, with five saves and 18 sustained games. .
He also had 3.0 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, which means he was the fourth-best performer among all Yankees players, behind only Gerrit Cole (6.2), Aaron Judge (5.1) and Jordan Montgomery (3.4). This is the statistic that encompasses all the contribution of a player to his team.
Jonathan was marching with a 1.03 whip, indicating that very few people circulate around the bases for him. Opponents are hitting .219 and he averages 8.74 strikeouts per nine innings, the same as 1.99 walks. For every walk he concedes, he strikes out 4.40 batters and only six of 30 legacy running backs scored him.
Since his departure after the Sept. 3 game against the Orioles, the Yankees are 5-11 and have slumped so much they are in danger of being missed out of the postseason. Most importantly, however, Loáisiga will be back on the hill this season, according to his pitching coach.
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