Severino shut down with lat strain in latest blow to Yanks’ rotation
March 25 – TAMPA, Fla. – Five days before Opening Day, the New York Yankees suffered another blow to their starting rotation.
Luis Severino, who was scheduled for the second game of the season, was shut down on Saturday for what coach Aaron Boone called a weak right lat load, adding that he will likely, if not definitely, have to start the year on the casualty list.
New York already knew they would be without Carlos Rodón (forearm strain) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) early in the season, and Nestor Cortes was slowed down early in camp by a thigh strain.
After Gerrit Cole served against the San Francisco Giants in Thursday’s opener, Boone said it’s likely leaving Clarke Schmidt to start the second game, even though the Yankees work through several permutations. Domingo Germán and Cortes round out the current rotation, and Boone mentioned Jhony Brito, who spent most of 2022 with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, as someone who could be in the running for fifth place.
Severino was due to start Sunday’s spring game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but Boone said the 29-year-old right-hander felt something like cramps during his practice activities after Tuesday’s start. The tightness was still there Friday when he was supposed to make his shot between starts, so the Yankees let it be looked at. Boone said the muscle load was light.
“So, next, he doesn’t throw for five days? Is it six, seven days? What’s that?” Boone said. “That’s what we need to wrap our arms around.”
Last season, Severino landed on the 15-day injured list after a two-inning start against Cincinnati on July 13 with what was then described as a minor strain in the right lat. He made his next start on September 21st.
Severino had a 9.00 ERA in five starts that spring and allowed six home runs in 15 innings, although he also hit 23 outs and walked just six. Aside from the longballs and some issues with his slider, which he ironed out, he sounded mostly happy with his pen.
“It sucks for him because I know where he is, what he’s been like this spring, how the ball is coming out, what shape he’s in,” Boone said. “And then on top of the other things we’ve had — but then you try to take a step back and hopefully it’s something small.”
Brito was added to the 40-man roster during the offseason, allowing three runs over 7 2/3 innings in three spring games with New York, the last on March 10. He hit 97.8 mph that day and averaged 96.3 mph in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
“Keeps improving,” Sam Briend, the Yankees’ director of pitching, said Friday. “He made this huge leap in speed. He’s started adding the cutter and using it a little more by the end of the year. That gives him that kind of hard left-handed weapon. I hope he keeps making steps forward he throws more and more.
“Brito is probably one of the most exciting arms there because he can do so much, he has so many weapons with the change and the breaking ball is slow to come along.”
Other pitchers on the 40 with starting experience include Deivi García, Yoendrys Gómez, Randy Vásquez and Matt Krook, with Krook being the only one of the group still in big league camp.
Vásquez pitched four scoreless innings, batted four and walked two against a Phillies lineup that included Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, among others, in the Yankees’ 8-3 win over Philadelphia in Clearwater, Fla. on Saturday. Boone said that while he probably won’t be in the fifth starter mix from the get-go, he could work his way into it eventually.
“Seeing him do that with our big boys out there, with their big boys, late in spring training where we’re getting closer to the season to have him line up like he’s done was encouraging and a little look why we’re getting excited about him,” Boone said. “He’s certainly a guy who can bring himself into the mix, not necessarily right away, but at any point this season. He’s navigated a tough lineup and didn’t – wasn’t perfect but he showed his ability sometimes when he was down the count I thought to get back into it.
Vásquez has played at Double-A all of 2022, so a trip to Triple-A should be on the cards for this season.
Closer to Volpening Day?
In Clearwater, Anthony Volpe failed with a home run behind the cycle against the Phillies and opened the game by pushing out a three-pointer on Aaron Nola, which landed in front of right fielder Nick Castellanos and bounced away. He also doubled Nola in the second inning.
“Just another day to go out and play,” said Volpe, who landed with a shot at the stake cycle in the fifth inning. “I played in Low A here and it’s a good ballpark to play and bat.”
The 21-year-old is racing toward the finish line in contention for the Yankees’ first shortstop job, amassing hits in four of his last five games and seven of nine. He increased his batting average to .314 and his OPS to 1.064. Oswald Peraza, the other candidate for the job, had the day off and Volpe gets a day off on Sunday.
“Hello from him,” Boone said. “Good sounder. Good job getting the blooper there to third base to start, so have a good day for him.”
The Yankees shook Nola for five carries in 1 2/3 innings, with Josh Donaldson and Andres Chaparro crushing over 400-foot homers.
Turner went 3 for 3 with a double for the Phillies and Castellanos homered.
Contact the author:
570-348-9125;
@RailRidersTT on Twitter