Luis Severino is looking forward to starting his rehab this week with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he was candid when he said he thought it should have happened last week.
The New York Yankees thought otherwise.
Severino has been dealing with a strain in his side, and the Yankees placed him on the 60-day disabled list after he suffered it in the final week of spring training. Severino openly criticized that decision by the Yankees because he thought they only needed to lose three or four starts to recover.
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Luis Severino of the New York Yankees walks off the field after being pulled out during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 20, 2022 in Houston. . (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Instead, the number is more like nine or 10 starts that Severino will miss, depending on how his rehab stint goes in the minors before the Yankees get him back.
Speaking to reporters Sunday before the Yankees’ series finale with the Tampa Bay Rays, Severino was candid again when he discussed how he pitched a simulated game last Friday instead of starting a rehab assignment.
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«I think it was unnecessary not to release Low-A, but I do what I’m told to do,» he said over the phone. New York Post. «But I feel good».
Severino reportedly smiled when asked what the Yankees told him to justify his reasoning, and replied, «They tried, but whatever.»
“If I’m the only one who wants something and they don’t agree to it, they won’t let me do something,” Severino explained. «But I hope that from now on they will trust me more and try to let me compete more.»
Luis Severino of the New York Yankees reacts after an RBI single by Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning of Game 3 of the ALDS on October 15, 2022 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Severino’s last few years with the Yankees have been plagued with injuries. He had back-to-back All-Star seasons in 2017 and 2018 in which he pitched 31 and 32 starts respectively. New York believed he had his next ace, but he only made three starts from 2019-21 after suffering a shoulder injury, a groin injury and needing Tommy John surgery.
However, last season, Severino started 19 games, pitching with a 3.18 ERA in 102 innings.
The Yankees just hope that Severino’s stamina can return in 2023, which could be the reason behind the warning to increase it.
But the right-hander is confident he’s ready to show his team he can return to the rotation.
Luis Severino of the New York Yankees throws during a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 10, 2023 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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If all goes to plan, Severino is expected to return to the Yankees at the end of May.