Subscribe
Follow Us
New York Yankees ace Luis Severino was scratched from his scheduled Spring Training debut on Tuesday afternoon with right shoulder inflammation, and manager Aaron Boone said he is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1103037404460580864
Severino dealt with a strained tricep injury in 2016, but he has been mostly healthy for the past two seasons.
This is frustrating news for a Yankees team that was counting on Severino to anchor the pitching staff. Perhaps more worrisome for New York is the fact that this kind of injury is already causing discomfort for the 25-year-old.
Severino has legitimate Cy Young potential. According to MLB Statcast, he led all major league starters in average fastball velocity (97.6 MPH). And with a wipeout slider and a plus changeup, Severino's stuff is among the best in baseball.
He proved as much in 2017, when he finished third in the AL Cy Young voting after going 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 10.3 K/9. Severino picked up where he left off in the first half of 2018, posting a 14-2 record with a 2.31 ERA in 20 starts before the All-Star break.
But the imposing righty imploded in the second half, posting a 5.57 ERA and giving up nine homers, including seven in July and six in August.
Severino is scheduled to be reevaluated at the beginning of the season, and the Yankees will certainly be praying for good news. New York's starting rotation already runs somewhat thin, and a long-term diagnosis for Severino would be a massive setback.
With Severino on the shelf, left-hander James Paxton will most likely be the Opening Day stater.
