Luis Severino dealing with lat strain and won’t make scheduled first start of season for Yankees
TAMPA — The Yankees’ rotation has taken another hit, as Luis Severino is dealing with a low-grade lateral strain on his right side.
“It’s going to put him in jeopardy to start the year,” Aaron Boone said Saturday morning. The manager added that it’s “probably an IL situation” for the right-hander, but Boone’s understanding is that this isn’t a long-term issue. The skipper described the injury as “subtle”.
Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media first reported that Severino suffered an injury.
Severino felt tension in his lats after his last outing as he went through his post-game arm care routine. That tension has been maintained in the days since. Boone wasn’t sure how long Severino would be sidelined, but he’s not going to make what would have been his first season opener, the Bombers’ second game.
Severino was supposed to make his final start of spring training on Sunday.
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“I was a little bummed out yesterday,” Boone said. “He’s worked hard to put himself in a good place here, and for that to happen a week before the season has to be frustrating for him.”
Boone said Clarke Schmidt will likely start the Yankees’ second game of the year. Jhony Brito, among others, is a candidate to enter the rotation if the team needs a fifth starter early on. The Yankees are still weighing their options.
Boone dismissed the idea that the Yankees don’t have enough starting pitching depth, but the team is already without Carlos Rodon and Frankie Montas for various stretches of time. And while the team believes Severino’s injury isn’t serious, he did miss two months with a sideline strain last season, even though the Yankees sidelined him longer than he preferred.
While Severino has shown Cy Young potential, injuries, including Tommy John surgery, have hampered the 29-year-old throughout his career. He made 19 starts and posted a 3.18 ERA last year, a comeback season after pitching in just seven games from 2019-21.
Severino is a free agent after this season.
“That sucks for him,” Boone said, “because I know where he is, what he looks like this spring, how the ball comes out, what kind of condition he’s in.”
In unrelated news, Boone also said no decision had been made on Anthony Volpe’s roster status as of Saturday morning.