The New York Yankees are preparing for their Thursday night showdown against the Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to the match, the team announced several roster changes, including transferring Jonathan Loaisiga to the 60-day injured list after he was initially placed on the 15-day IL.
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Yankees made a few moves prior to Thursday’s game:
- Transferred RHP Jonathan Loáisiga to the 60-day injured list.
- Signed RHP Ryan Weber (#62) to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster.
Losing Loaisiga is a substantial setback for the bullpen, even though the unit currently boasts the best ERA in the entire league. Michael King’s return from Tommy John surgery and Ian Hamilton’s emergence have effectively compensated for any losses, but the Yankees still feel the impact.
Loaisiga was exceptional in 2021, posting a 2.17 ERA and a 60.9% ground ball rate over 70.2 innings. That season set the stage for what many hope will be a bright future, but the 28-year-old has struggled to stay healthy due to various issues.
To help reinforce the bullpen, the Yankees have called upon Ryan Weber to fill a roster spot. After Deivi Garcia was demoted to Triple-A following Wednesday’s victory, the Yankees hope that Weber can replicate his success from 2022. Last season, Weber recorded a 0.84 ERA over 10.2 innings, producing a 60.6% ground ball rate and striking out only 2.53 batters per nine innings.
Weber is primarily a supplemental relief pitcher who would likely see action only if the Yankees have to rely heavily on their bullpen or if they have a large enough lead to depend on their back-end support.