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I was just wondering today why we hadn’t had an update on Luis Severino, and then we got one. It’s not good news, as the young ace will be shelved for another six weeks after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 lat strain.
To add insult to the injury, it sounds like the strain occurred during Severino’s original rehab for his rotator cuff inflammation, as he aggravated his lat in his throwing program. If you ever needed a reminder that you should never pitch, the odyssey of getting Severino on the field in 2019 is the object example.
It sounds like the Yankees’ plan is six weeks of no throwing before Sevy ramps himself up and begins his rehab starts. Since he had a short spring training already, you have to figure Severino is at least two months away from making his season debut, and more likely longer. Back in March, the Yankees indicated they preferred their existing pitching depth:
In the wake of Severino’s injury, Cashman said the Yankees are focused on going with what they have in house (German, Loaisiga). Additions are unlikely until after June draft.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 6, 2019
Domingo German, Luis Cessa and Jonathan Loaisiga could all replace Severino’s production, but that’s still a lot to ask from relatively unproven arms. The right-hander will likely be out until past the MLB Draft, held from June 3rd to 5th this year, so it may be time for the Yankees to explore outside help.