Jonathan Roashiga’s Struggles Amid Yankees’ Bullpen Challenges

Jonathan Roashiga’s role in the struggling Yankees bullpen is truly critical, and it’s becoming harder to overlook his recent difficulties. Another home run allowed during Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Cubs didn’t help his case.

Loáisiga had a brief moment of success with a clean inning, but everything changed when Chicago catcher Carson Kelly hit a solo home run off him on a curveball during the eighth inning, which was a bit disappointing. This marks the third home run he’s given up in just two appearances.

Adding to the frustration, Roashiga has allowed eight runs over his last seven innings, bringing his ERA to 5.01 across 22 games this season. It’s not exactly what the team needs right now.

“His stuff was good today. It really was,” Aaron Boone said, trying to pinpoint where things went wrong. “One bad pitch can change everything. We need him to focus on accuracy and execution to get better.”

Roashiga appears to be working through some lingering effects from his elbow reconstruction surgery last April. He claims he’s feeling good and recovering well, which is reassuring, but is that enough? He hopes that good health will finally lead to better results.

Reflecting on his journey, he mentioned, “This is my seventh season, and people have adjusted to my game. I definitely trust my ability to adapt and improve.” However, he’s already allowed a career-high number of home runs this season, including two to Randy Arozarena and Cole Young in a recent outing against the Mariners.

“When he’s at his best, hitters really struggle against his sinker,” Boone added. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. He just needs to get back to executing his pitches effectively.”