Yankees RHP Jonathan Loaisiga to have season-ending surgery

New York Yankees right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga said Saturday that he's having season-ending surgery to repair a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, but that it won't be Tommy John.

Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery in Arlington, Texas. The expected recovery time is 10-12 months. Meister is known for an internal brace procedure that has a shorter recovery time.

The Yankees placed Loaisiga on the 60-day injured list Friday with what they called a right flexor strain just hours before New York's home opener.

"It's very frustrating," Loaisiga told reporters through an interpreter. "I'm going to end up losing the rest of the season. It's a tough moment to deal with. At the same time, there's a will inside. I want to be out there pitching. You have to use that as motivation and rely on that to carry you in a moment like this."

Loaisiga, 29, is no stranger to arm troubles. He missed time over the past two seasons with shoulder and elbow issues, including inflammation and bone spurs in his elbow last season that limited him to just 17 appearances.

He also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 when he was a minor leaguer.

The injury comes at an especially unfortunate time for the Yankees' bullpen, which goes into the home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 1.27 ERA, fourth lowest in the league.

Loaisiga was a key part of that bullpen effort, pitching four scoreless innings in three of the first seven games, striking out three batters and adding a walk.

A native of Nicaragua, Loaisiga has spent all seven seasons of his career with the Yankees.

He's notched an overall record of 19-11 in 219.2 innings pitched in 163 games (11 starts). He has a career ERA of 3.44, with 207 strikeouts and 72 walks.

--Field Level Media