ORLANDO, Fla. — Long-time Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga was up early Tuesday at his farmhouse near Managua, Nicaragua, which has a barn loaded with horses, chickens and his beloved bulls.
This was another important workday for the free agent reliever, who has recovered from his season-ending injury and is working to secure a fresh start with a new team after 10 years in the Yankees organization.
The Yankees are severing ties because they didn’t get enough return on investment due to Loaisiga’s history of injuries, but he has suitors offering major-league contracts because he can pitch as well as any reliever in the majors when he’s healthy.
Loaisiga, 31, said he has offers from three National League clubs — the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Giants — all with a condition. He has to log a few innings in the next month or so in the Nicaraguan winter league. He doesn’t need great results facing inferior competition, but the clubs hoping for a signing want to make sure he’s healthy before making their contract offers official.
On Tuesday after breakfast, Loaisiga drove to downtown Managua to throw a bullpen in an empty 15,000-seat ballpark that used to be named for the best ballplayer ever to come out of his country, four-time All-Star pitcher and 245-game winner from 1976-1998 Dennis Martinez, aka El Presidente.
Loaisiga just started throwing a few weeks ago in Houston after being shut down in August with a flexor strain, so the right-hander’s fastball velocity isn’t back to what it’s been when he’s been healthy, in the high-90s and up to 100. But he said he was whipping in heaters with good mechanics and feeling good throwing in the home bullpen at Estadio Nacional Soberani.
“The only thing I worry about is staying healthy,” Loaisiga said by phone. “I know I can pitch. I just want to show everyone that I’m healthy and I can stay healthy.”
Loaisiga began the 2025 season on the injured list as he finished his rehab from April 2024 surgery to repair his right UCL and a flexor strain and then he missed the last two months with two more injuries, first tightness in his back and then another flexor strain. In between, Loaisiga wasn’t consistent, going 0-1 with a 4.25 ERA in 30 outings.
This was the same sad story for a pitcher whose entire career has been plagued by injuries. He debuted as a Giants minor leaguer in 2013, then sat out two seasons with arm injuries before being released.
Loaisiga signed with the Yankees in February 2016, then blew out his arm in his first game with Low-A Charleston and underwent Tommy John surgery. That was the first of 13 injured list stints during his decade in the Yankees organization, nine of them coming during his eight years as a big leaguer.
“I’ve had a lot of bad luck,” Loaisiga said. “I hope it changes because I know how I can pitch when I’m healthy. I’m due for better luck.”
The Yankees kept Loaisiga for a decade because of his talent. He proved it in 2021 when he was a standout setup reliever going 8-4 with a 2.21 ERA in a career-high 57 outings.
His career numbers are pretty good, too. In 193 games, all for the Yankees, he has a 19-12 record with a 3.54 ERA.
But the injuries have prevented Loaisiga from pitching more than 30 games in all but two seasons. He made a combined 107 appearances during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, then just 50 over the last three years.
“I’m hoping I’m done with injuries,” Loaisiga said. “I want to sign with someone and pitch like I can. The way I’m feeling, I’m confident it can happen next season. I’m working hard. I’m feeling good.”
Loaisiga hopes to sign with a team by January, represent Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic and then achieve something he’s never done as a big leaguer: Have a good season and stay off the injured list from start to finish.
“I loved being a Yankee,” he said. “A lot of great memories. Wherever I go next, I want to pitch good and help my team win. And stay healthy. That’s most important.”
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