Luis Severino’s recent MRI revealed a Grade 2 lat strain that will cause the righty to be shut down from throwing for the next six weeks, the Yankees announced to reporters (Twitter link via Newsday’s Erik Boland). The lat injury is a new development that is unrelated to the previous bout of shoulder inflammation from which Severino was working his way back. This new injury, it seems, was sustained while Severino was rehabbing his shoulder.
As has been well documented by now, the Yankees have a staggering 11 players on the injured list, though it’s arguable that Severino is the most vital of the bunch. The recently extended righty was expected to front the rotation in 2019 but now seems destined to miss the majority of the season’s first half. A six-week shutdown would mean that Severino wouldn’t even resume throwing until the latter third of May, and at that point he’d need to completely rebuild arm strength sufficient to handle a starter’s workload at the big league level. Even in a best-case scenario, there’s little hope of Severino making his first start of the season before the middle of June.
With Severino and CC Sabathia on the shelf, the Yankees have been leaning on James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ as the top three options in the starting rotation. Right-handers Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga have been the preferred options at the back of the rotation to this point in the young season, though the Yankees also picked up Gio Gonzalez on surprising a minor league contract late in Spring Training.
The prolonged absence of Severino will do nothing to quell connections between the Yankees and yet-unsigned Dallas Keuchel — the clear-cut top option remaining on the open market. Keuchel’s asking price has reportedly begun to come down recently, though signing him would still come with both luxury tax concerns and draft penalties; specifically, the Yankees would pay a 32 percent tax on any dollars spent on Keuchel and would forfeit their second-highest draft pick and $500K of international bonus money by signing the 2015 AL Cy Young winner.
If the Yankees opt to remain internal, it’ll mean continued looks for German and Loaisiga, plus a potential opportunity for the veteran Gonzalez and/or young righty Chance Adams.
You won’t see him on a mound until at LEAST July now
Another nugget of silliness presented by Joshua today. The first was in the Cubs article concerning Moncada.
I thought it was a pretty reasonable prediction…
Sounds about right
I put the s/ sarcastic prefix on that moncada comment! Not sure what’s so silly about saying he won’t be back until at least July when the author says mid-June as an optimistic time frame
Don’t look good for the Yanks.
and yet, Red Sox are 3-9.
Red Sox don’t have injuries as excuses..
Stop it. If you don’t think the schedule for the Yankees hasn’t been easier than you’re lying to yourself.
The last 3 World Series Winners: 2-6, 2-5, 1-5 for a combined 5-16.
Personal favorite: 2018 Mets started 12-2
Seattle, oakland, arizona and toronto aren’t exactly world beaters, lol.
3 teams that will probably finish 4th and 5th in their division and a depleted a’s team.
Somehow though I think the Yanks’ll be fine for now without him.
They’ll be fine a few times through the order, for sure. But long-term, they will miss having a potential ace at the front of their rotation. They don’t have anyone else that is close.
Severino and Andujar are done for the year.
craig kimbrel?
Damnnn, he really didn’t want to go to London, huh?
2020 is beginning to seem more likely.
Cashmans next extension candidate..Greg Bird
Might be the Tulo curse.
That curse propelled the Jays to two ALCS appearances upon his arrival. Couldn’t have done it without him.
All the Yankees fans jumped all over me when I said the Yankees should have signed Corbin and focused in on a couple of solid veteran pitchers . They could be burying the Red Sox early and coasted to the division title. Now they will flop around with the Red Sox and Rays.
The problem you hav is they looked like they had a solid 5 for the rotation. Solid starters don’t sign off season deals knowing that they would be considered depth options, Solid starters sign where they have legitimate shots to break camp to be in the ration.
** in the rotation
Who had 5 solid starters? You can’t be serious. They had at best a single #2, two #4 and the rest were #5s at best. That is hardly a solid 5 starters. The least you can do is be honest about the one big weakness in an otherwise good team.
Are you serious with those comments around their rotation? Pre Sevy injury he was a consensus top 10 starter in baseball. Paxton is a rock solid #2. Tanaka as a #3 is fairly nice, Happ at 4 again nice to have. Biggest question mark was #5 starter. Plus with the bullpen they put together not like you need them to toss 7-8 innings vs say the Indians absurd rotation but bullpen being shallow.
Paxton is not a solid #2!
Let’s be honest yourself – when using the term “solid” starter you need 2 things, “stuff” and “durability”.
Tanaka has the “stuff” to be a good 3/4 level, but the durability keeps him from being “solid” much the same as buchholz always was in boston.
Sevy didn’t have a long track record yet, but, is starting to appear to have similar issues.
Paxton has the potential to be “solid” but needs to establish a track record to earn it. I definitely call him a number 2 for now.
I want my #2 to stay on the field better than the Canadian glass man!
Severino is a #2, Paxton and Tanaka are #4s, the rest are #5s. That’s a fair assessment. The fact they have a good offense behind them probably makes them look better than they really are but there is no denying, the starters are a huge weakness for that team, regardless of how much of a yankeephile you may be
What’s your definition of a 2?
Severino and syndergaard are perfect examples of #2. Both are good pitchers who show flashes of dominance but do not sustain it for extended periods of time. Obviously they could still improve but as of now they are not there yet.
Yankees would be fine if half their roster wasn’t injured. You can’t really prepare for the amount of injuries that they’ve had. I doubt any other team in the league would be doing very well with all these injuries either.
The Dodgers prepared by signing depth and more depth and NOT sinking 250 million plus on any single player.
… and have those Championships as proof that’s the answer.
I kid I kid (just couldn’t resist lol)
It’s so sadly true that I couldn’t get mad even if you didn’t add the “kidding” disclaimer lol
There’s no shame in losing your last series of the year to the Red Sox, its a bond between NY/LA fans 😉
The problem with the yanks has not been their starters up to this point. With Corbin they’d probably have the exact same record.
So overpay someone “just in case”?
Fascinating
Starting pitching has not been the Yankees problem this year.
You are calling not signing corbin a failure after 3 starts when he has 6 years left to prove how much he is wirh the contract? Lol
You probably loved the pujlos deal after 2 weeks too.
I’d still stay away from Keuchel. He’d have to be unbelievably cheap to take the collateral damage from the signing.
Agree a lot, because international bonus money can pay back so bigly if spending wise!
It’s not nbn unreasonable to prefer Germsn to Keuchel. Less sold on Loasaiga.
The Bronx Balmers.
Fire the trainers! Sound familiar Angel haters?
Go Angels!
Yes, but in Angels case the head trainer got his degree from online degree mill and in Yankee case the head trainer has legit degree and was twice head trainer of the year (1990 & 2010). So there is that.
So he won the award once in the past 28 years? That truly is outstanding!
How’s TooLow doing in his rehab?,,,,,,worried sick about him
Gone til at least the second half. Time for Keuchel?
His price is at least finally starting to come down. It will realistically take him at 3 weeks to be ready to face ML hitters. If he would accept a one or two year deal at $15M/year, I don’t see how he wouldn’t be a fit. He’s not anywhere close to a #1 pitcher. However he could be a solid #3.
Would like to see Gio get a chance though.
Gio to the rescue!
If that’s what you’re hoping for than the season is certainly over!
I can’t remember a past April where so many players went on the DL…
This isn’t second grade and harming poor Jimmy’s self esteem. We’re talking professional athletes being paid millions of dollars to be in peak physical condition and looking all sloppy.
Where’s mikeyank to pontificate on who is to “blame” for pitching injuries?
Oh, that’s right he only does that in Mets threads.
Mets fans are obsessed with the Yankees, lol
That snuff K is looking better and better.
Serevino & Andujar will not play this season. The Yankees have been screwed by cashamn yet again, he’s past his prime. No one wants to sign with him. he can’t get it done. They should have signed Manny long term & DH’d Andujar. It was insane that they were relying on a sub par 3rd baseman because he had a great year at the plate. George is rolling over in his grave. Shame on the Yankees & Cashman.