New York Yankees fans have been waiting for their club to turn the corner, but it just has not happened. Furthermore, there is no evidence to indicate a shift is coming before the regular season ends. A major setback for Nestor Cortes only makes that more unlikely. New York has no choice but to hope that its underachieving stars can awaken from their slumber.

Starting pitcher Luis Severino is near the top of that list. The Yankees have implemented multiple plans to get the Dominican right-hander back on track, including using an opener pitcher ahead of him in his Wednesday outing against the dismal Chicago White Sox. The tweak did nothing to curtail Severino's colossal struggles, as he gave up four runs in just two innings of work.

Now, with Cortes being shut down for a month and possibly longer, the team has no choice but to use the two-time All-Star in a more traditional role again. “The plan is for Luis Severino to start on Tuesday against the Braves, per Aaron Boone,” Max Goodman of NJ.com reported Friday.

A pitcher in the midst of the worst year of their career is unlikely to find a remedy against the hard-hitting Atlanta Braves on the road. In fact, this feels borderline sadistic. Yet, what choice do the Yankees have? They have fallen on uncharacteristically hard times, struggling to score runs and stay healthy.

A five-game deficit in the American League Wild Card race is doable on paper, but it will take far more than just the inherent Pinstripes way to claw their way back up the standings. Luis Severino takes a 8.06 ERA to Truist Park, desperate to wake up a from a season-long nightmare, one that he shares with a fed-up fan base.