Jonathan Loaisiga had everything going for him in 2018. The Nicaraguan right-hander spun a fine major league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays in June. With the back end of the New York Yankees rotation hurting, the then-23-year-old dubbed “Johnny Lasagna” appeared to have found a regular spot on the main roster.
Cue a nagging shoulder injury flaring up after four starts, and everything changed. Loaisiga went from being the toast of New York to forgotten faster than a pitch from Steve Nebraska. He missed two months of action and returned to rough results.