Giancarlo Stanton, Jonathan Loaisiga join Yankees' growing injured list

Another day, another Yankees bullpen arm to the injured list.

Another position player, too.  

Jonathan Loaisiga, a star in last year’s pen off to a rough start  this season but still more effective than not, was the latest, placed on the IL before Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles with right shoulder inflammation.

And less than an hour before first pitch, the Yankees put Giancarlo Stanton on the IL with a right calf strain, which caused the outfielder/DH to depart Tuesday’s game in the seventh inning.

“I just talked to him,” Aaron Boone said a couple of hours before the Stanton IL announcement. “He is feeling pretty good. It is something we hope, he said something early enough to where [hopefully] this doesn’t become long [term]. Still may be an IL, it may be be a couple of days. We’ll see, but he was feeling good getting around today.”

Stanton is hitting .285 with 11 homers and an .862 OPS this season.

As for Loaisiga, Boone said the shoulder issue “popped up” only two days ago.

“Similar to what he dealt with last year, probably not as severe,” Boone said.

The 27-year-old Loaisiga, who has a 7.02 ERA in 18 games, missed 22 games last September with a right shoulder strain.

“Just feel like it’s probably something, as a precaution, we need to be smart here and take a couple of weeks and hopefully that’s all it is,” Boone said.

Loaisiga was among the best relievers in the game last season when he posted a 2.17 ERA in 57 games, striking out 69 in 70 2/3 innings. Boone said he did not believe Loaisiga’s struggles at times this season – he’s allowed three homers in 16 2/3 innings this season compared with allowing three homers all of last year – were not attributable to the shoulder.

Over the weekend Chad Green was lost for the season to a right elbow strain that will require Tommy John surgery and Aroldis Chapman landed on the IL Tuesday with left Achilles tendinitis .  

Donaldson latest

Josh Donaldson, put on the COVID-19 IL on Monday – the same day he was suspended one game by MLB for on-field comments he made to White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson on Saturday – is “feeling better,” Boone said.

Boone said Donaldson’s fever broke overnight and that the third baseman was expected at the Stadium at some point Wednesday to get an IV.

“He is improving,” Boone said.  

Still, Boone said he wasn’t sure if Donaldson, who plans to appeal his suspension, would accompany the team on its flight after Wednesday’s game to Tampa for the four-game series against the Rays that starts Thursday night. And he couldn’t say for certain if he expected Donaldson at any point during that series.

“Possibly,” Boone said. “We’ll see.”

DJ seems to be OK

DJ LeMahieu said he didn’t know what to expect when he underwent an MRI on his sore left wrist, which was negative, that caused him to get scratched from Tuesday’s game and to get a cortisone injection later in the day.

“I just literally picked up a bat on Monday in the cage before the game and couldn’t swing really,” said LeMahieu, hitting .250 with three homers and a .704 OPS.  “I just kind of thought it was a one-day [thing] and then yesterday just the same thing, it didn’t feel good. I’m expecting this cortisone to get me right in the next day or two.”