CHICAGO — Jonathan Loáisiga will not throw another pitch this season, and may not again for the Yankees.
The reliever will not return this year from a right elbow flexor strain, manager Aaron Boone said Thursday, though it appears that the oft-injured, 30-year-old pitcher will not need any surgery, at least at this point after meeting with well-known surgeon Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week.
“He’ll be done for the year, but nothing they have to go intervene on right now,” Boone said before his team’s 10-4 victory.
Loáisiga, who is expected to meet the team in Houston on Tuesday, has a $5 million club option for next season, though it would be a bit of a surprise if the Yankees pick it up given his extensive injury history.
Boone said he “thinks” Loáisiga’s surgically repaired UCL — which was operated on last spring — is OK. Flexor strains can often be precursors to Tommy John surgery, though for now that is not the case in Loáisiga’s situation.
Loáisiga, who was not his sharpest version this season with a 4.25 ERA, had been on the injured list since early August with mid-back tightness.
But he was on the verge of a return when he experienced soreness in his elbow, which was initially diagnosed as a flexor strain before the Yankees sought additional opinions.
Giancarlo Stanton started in right field Thursday, his first time playing the field at a venue other than Yankee Stadium or Steinbrenner Field (which has the same dimensions and small right field as The Bronx).
“Obviously, a little more ground to cover, but not any more physical concern than I would otherwise,” Boone said. “Probably tougher dimensions to handle, but nothing I’m more or less concerned about.”
Boone does not expect to play Stanton — who was lifted in the seventh inning for defensive replacement José Caballero — in right field in all four games this series, which likely means having him out of the lineup while Aaron Judge continues to tie up the DH spot as he returns from a flexor strain.
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Judge played catch and threw to second base before Thursday’s game, and while Boone said he still expects his captain to be able to play right field this season, it remains a mystery as to when that will happen.
“He’ll throw a little more with some more intensity while we’re here this weekend,” Boone said. “When that day is, it’ll be.”
Ryan Yarbrough (oblique strain) is “probably” headed back to the bullpen when he comes off the injured list — expected to be on Monday, when rosters expand — though the Yankees built him up to 63 pitches in his last rehab start on Tuesday to give themselves options if they need it.
“That’s one of the reasons why we’ve wanted to continue to build him up to make sure we at least have some pitch bandwidth there if we get into a need because our [starting] depth’s taken a little bit of a hit,” Boone said.