Jonathan Loaisiga was winning New York Yankees 5th starter job
Before Spring Training was canceled, the New York Yankees competition for a fifth starter looked like it had a winner, 25-year-old Jonathan Loaisiga.
Spring Training has been shut down and as of now, there aren’t any major league sports going on due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Yankees were in position to contend for a championship once again this season. The team had one big hole: who was going to be their back-end starters in the rotation?
Injuries to Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery) and James Paxton (back surgery) led to a battle for new starters at the back end of the rotation. Hard-throwing righty Jonathan Loaisiga was part of the competition. Coming into camp Loaisiga spent parts of the last two years with the Yankees posting a 4-2 record with a 4.79 ERA.
Loaisiga started three games this spring with an impressive 2.70 ERA. If the season hadn’t been put on long pause, Loaisgia did enough to earn a spot in the rotation to open 2020.
More from New York Yankees
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!
- Get $500 in Bonus Bets to Back Yankees or Mets With PointsBet New York Promo
According to NJ Advanced Media’s Brandon Kuty, Bombers pitching coach Matt Blake had Loaisiga penciled in as the fifth starter behind Gerritt Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and Jordan Montgomery. As further proof, one of Loaisiga’s main competitors, David Hale, was clerically released by the team, pending a restoring of his contract.
The good news to come out of this is that the New York Yankees have someone else ready to go in case another injury pops up, someone is ineffective, or the revised schedule necessitates it. As their fans are well aware of, the Bombers fought through a record-breaking string of injuries last season and now Loaisiga is the”next man up.”
Next. CeeDee Lamb to the Jets takes Sam Darnold to next level. dark
The Honduras native is part of a very strong Yankees minor league pipeline. He has earned an opportunity and I think Loaisgia will get his chance at some point. There is plenty of time now due to the uncertainty of when the season will start, but Loaisiga is the pitcher to go-to man when a spot opens up again.