Yankees injury updates | Jonathan Loaisiga shut down, Gary Sanchez tentative return set

Triple-A righty Jonathan Loaisiga won’t be back next week to start in Baltimore due to a shoulder issue.

TORONTO— Now we have a better idea why the Yankees are thinking they’re better off giving struggling righty Sonny Gray another start next Wednesday night in Baltimore.

The best perceived short-term (and maybe permanent) replacement option is hurt.

Sonny Gray tries to explain why he’s stinking up a solid rotation

Rookie right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, impressive last month after double-jumping to the big leagues to make three starts, has been shut down in Triple-A due to shoulder inflammation.

This setback, which probably will lead to a DL stint, was announced by Yankees manager Aaron Boone before Saturday’s late-afternoon game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Loaisiga had been the favorite to come up to start one of the Yankees’ Monday doubleheader games in Baltimore until last Thursday when the 23-year-old Nicaraguan reported “a little tightness in his shoulder.”

Loaisiga, who was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts for the Yankees, had an MRI on Friday and will be examined early next week in New York by Yankees physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.

“Hopefully by Monday or Tuesday we’ll have a clearer picture on the timeframe,” Boone said.

Meantime, the Yankees have a best-case timeline for catcher Gary Sanchez to return from a right groin strain that’s had him on the DL since June 25.

Bearing setbacks, Sanchez could be ready to play in a minor-league rehab game by next Sunday and rejoin the Yankees for their first game back from the All-Star break on July 20.

“I feel very good where I’m at right now,” Sanchez said Saturday after taking two rounds of batting practice and catching Masahiro Tanaka’s bullpen session.

Sanchez will take Sunday off, then resume baseball activities on Monday.

“I know at some point I’ve got to run the bases and make sure that checks out correctly,” Sanchez said. “I’ve got to see where we are. But I feel pretty good. I feel that I’m ready to play.”

The Yankees, however, have been and will continue to proceed with caution on Sanchez, who is just two weeks into a recovery that was expected to take three to four weeks.

But the Yankees like the progress that they’re seeing.

“Hitting, he’s not feeling anything anymore,” Boone said. “So I think he’s getting close to really ramping it up and hopefully we’ll get him a couple rehab games in with the idea that he’ll be starting with us when we come out of the break.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.