The New York Yankees, who have dropped five games in a row heading into Thursday, suffered another loss ahead of their series finale vs. the Toronto Blue Jays when they placed right-handed starter Jameson Taillon on the injured list because of a right ankle tendon injury. In a corresponding move, the Yankees selected the contract of right-hander Sal Romano from Triple-A. (Outfielder Jonathan Davis was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-player roster for Romano.)

Taillon, 29, was acquired over the offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 27 starts this season, he's accumulated a 4.41 ERA (96 ERA+) and a 3.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Taillon's 138 innings represents the second most on the Yankees staff, trailing only ace Gerrit Cole. (Cole also suffered an injury earlier this week, as hamstring discomfort forced him from his start on Tuesday.)

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic's Lindsey Adler that Taillon may miss only one turn in the rotation, though it hinges on his pain tolerance. Boone confirmed as well that Taillon suffered his injury during his most recent start on Monday.

Taillon is the latest in a line of notable Yankees to hit the shelf, joining fellow starters Domingo Germán and Luis Severino; relievers Zack Britton and Jonathan Loaisiga; and outfielders Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier. The Yankees are also without depth pieces like Miguel Andújar and Michael King.

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Boone added Thursday that Britton, who hit the injured list on Aug. 23, recently underwent elbow surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Britton will be out the rest of thee season and could miss the entire 2022 MLB season as well, Boone said.

Romano, 27, made two appearances earlier this season with the Yankees. In those games, he threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. The Yankees are his third organization of the season, after the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers.

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The Yankees entered Thursday with a 78-61 record on the season, good for third place in the American League East and the second wild card spot. New York has a 1 1/2-game lead over the Blue Jays, making Thursday night's game all the more important.