Two Yankees are on track to return from the COVID-19 injured list, but Aaron Judge is not one of them.
Reliever Jonathan Loaisiga rejoined the club at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday and could be activated during the four-game series in Boston that begins on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone said.
Loaisiga was the first of six Yankees to go on the COVID-19 IL during the recent outbreak. The righthander was placed on the IL on July 10, one day after he pitched against the Astros in Houston.
Loaisiga had to quarantine in Houston until he was cleared to rejoin the team.
“I think the plan is for him to throw a bullpen tomorrow and then possibly do another bullpen or a live [batting practice session],” Boone said, “and hopefully be in play for us maybe at some point over the weekend.”
Other than Loaisiga, the Yankee on the COVID-19 IL who is closest to returning is Nestor Cortes Jr., Boone said. The lefthander could be activated next week.
Boone said he had no update on possible return dates for Judge, Gio Urshela, Kyle Higashioka or Wandy Peralta.
Asher Wednesday
Boone said the plan is to call up righthander Asher Wojciechowski from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start against the Phillies on Wednesday.
Wojciechowski, 32, was with the Yankees in spring training. In parts of four seasons, he is 9-15 with a 5.95 ERA in 57 games (34 starts) for the Astros, Reds and Orioles.
Wojciechowski is 0-1, 5.68 in four games (three starts) for Scranton.
O’Day’s bad day
Darren O’Day’s first Yankee season officially will end on Wednesday when the 38-year-old reliever undergoes surgery to repair a left hamstring injury. He had the same surgery on the same hamstring in 2018.
O’Day, who signed a one-year, $3.15 million contract with a $1.4-million player option for 2022, appeared in 12 games. He had no record and a 3.38 ERA. He said he doesn’t know if he is going to try to come back next season.
“The decision [to have surgery is tough because of the point I’m at in my career,” he said. “But speaking with these surgeons, if I ever want to play baseball again or if I want to live the life I want to live post-baseball, I have to get it fixed. I’ve given [next season] a lot of thought, actually, and still haven’t come up with the right answer. So I’m terrible at big decisions like that and that’s actually the first thing I thought of when I did it.”
Trainer’s room
Boone said Luke Voit (left knee inflammation) is feeling “significantly better” after having a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Friday . . . Miguel Andujar (left wrist sprain) has started swinging a bat again . . . OF Tim Locastro will undergo season-ending surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn right ACL.
