First, let me start and say that Sheffield won’t be the starter who replaces Tanaka in the rotation this Friday. It sounds like the Yankees will go with right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, who is another intriguing young prospect currently with Double-A Trenton. Unlike Sheffield, Loaisiga has never pitched at Triple-A and he doesn’t have as high of a ceiling. However, he is a year older than the 22-year old lefty and the front office must feel like he is a better option as a short-term replacement.
That makes sense because when the Yankees do call up Sheffield the hope is that he’ll be here to stay for good.