It’s been a full year since the Yankees’ bullpen lost one of its most electrifying and impactful members. Jonathan Loáisiga, the 30-year-old reliever, has been sorely missed—not just for his performance, but for the energy he brought to the mound. His absence wasn’t simply a tactical gap in the bullpen; it was a disruption in the very rhythm of the Yankees’ pitching staff. But now, as the regular season heats up, there’s finally an update that fans have been waiting for: Loáisiga is inching closer to his return.

Last year, Loáisiga had to undergo season-ending elbow surgery, and it’s been a long and challenging rehab journey ever since. But according to manager Aaron Boone, things are looking promising. Before the Yankees’ 10-4 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boone shared, “He’s doing really well. His rehab has gone really, really well. Even when I was watching his ‘pens in February, it was Lo. It was electric.”

Aaron Boone said Jonathan Loáisiga recently threw a bullpen session with Double-A Somerset and is now in a “de-load period.” In simple terms, he’s backing off the intensity for a bit to keep things on track.

However, Boone isn’t certain about Loáisiga’s progress with his rehab, but he was affirmative about his next step. It’ll be all about facing hitters and getting into games. As Aaron Boone puts it, “I know it’s not too far off.” Fingers crossed. We heard it from the man himself in February. Loáisiga allegedly told the reporters that he will be back in pinstripes either in late May or the first week of June. By then, don’t you think the Yankees’ bullpen will be very different from now?

After all, Ian Hamilton, the right-hander, will be off the injured list when the Yankees get to Detroit for the second half of their road trip. Next in the line, we have the lefthander Tyler Matzek, who will be back by the end of April 2025, if not any sooner. Starter Clarke Schmidt is also expected to be back with a fully recovered shoulder. He is supposed to return to the rotation around mid-April, which can probably push Will Warren to Triple-A to maintain the flexibility of the roster.

As a result, by the time Loáisiga is back, adjustments will have been made in multiple regards. Whenever we see him back on the field, all eyes will be on him. For now, let’s hope the Yankees get their serious weapon back.

Will Warren’s rough outing raises Yankees’ roster questions ahead of Schmidt’s return

There are times when a single outing can flip the momentum of a roster decision tied up in uncertainty. The Yankees are now very close to a crucial stage with their pitching staff. As it turns out, the right-hander Clarke Schmidt is nearing a big-league comeback in mid-April after his rehab. But his return has created a puzzle in the roster, and it’s not that easy to solve.

This will mean that either rookie Will Warren or veteran Carlos Carrasco will be out of the rotation. Initially, manager Aaron Boone reportedly said that he isn’t thinking about it just yet. But the urgency to land on a decision increased after the Yankees’ 5-4, 11-inning loss to the Pirates.

According to Boone, he had a lot of deep counts today, which drove his work up. It all started when Warren struggled with deep counts throughout the game and allowed four runs in four innings. Warren now has a 6.00 ERA over nine innings this season.

The fact that Carrasco doesn’t have Minor League options like Warren makes it easier for the Yankees to make a decision. Until then, they will be considering it all, from all standpoints such as performance, experience, and timing.