The Yankees have re-signed right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga to a one-year deal with a team option for 2026, the club announced on Saturday.
A certified flamethrower and one of just 16 Nicaragua-born players in AL/NL history, the 30-year-old Loáisiga has lost a great deal of playing time in his pro career to arm injuries.
After being limited to just 17 appearances in 2023 due to right elbow inflammation, Loáisiga made just three appearances this past season before suffering an elbow flexor injury that required season-ending surgery in April. The Yankees clarified that the procedure was not Tommy John surgery and that the recovery period was estimated at the time to be 10-12 months.
Loáisiga has exceeded 50 innings in a season just once, in his 2021 breakout campaign in which he went 9-4 with a 2.17 ERA (199 ERA+) and held opponents to a .281 slugging percentage after shifting to a full-time role out of the Yankees bullpen. That year, his sinker was the second most valuable among relievers by run value, trailing only Josh Hader. At his best, he excels at limiting hard contact, ranking in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity in 2021 and ’22.
In his career, Loáisiga is 19-11 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 219 2/3 innings.