Yankees Recall Luis Severino, but for How Long?

It is still unknown whether the Yankees intend to keep Luis Severino up at the big league level for good, or if this is just a pit-stop while Adam Warren makes his way from Chicago to New York.

It’s been almost two full months since 22-year-old Luis Severino last pitched in the majors. Which is completely understandable when you look at his dreadful numbers, 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA before his demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

But since then, while pitching for Independent League’s RailRiders, Sevvy has amassed a 7-1 record in 10 starts, while posting a 3.25 ERA. On July 20, he even struck out a career-high 11 batters in six innings pitched.

It will be interesting to see what the Yankees decide to do with their prized pitching prospect, as they won’t be forced to make a corresponding move via the 25-man and 40-man rosters immediately after finalizing the Aroldis Chapman transaction. 

More from Yanks Go Yard

• Should Yankees toss short-term extension at Harrison Bader before 2023?
• Yankees chose worst possible player to ring in New Year on 2023 team calendar
• Yankees State of the Farm System Review: Josh Breaux
• Yankees make upside play, sign former Rangers top prospect outfielder
• MLB insider claims favorite emerging in Bryan Reynolds rumors (not Yankees)

With so much raw potential, Severino’s 2015 rookie campaign, which didn’t begin until August 1, yielded a ton of excitement, maybe even too much, as the young fire-baller went 5-3, with a 2.89 ERA, and 56 Ks in 62.1 innings pitched.

That’s why the beginning to this season caught so many in the Yankees organization, fans, and even possibly Severino himself, off-guard. While his stuff was still electric, the fastball was left high in the zone way too often, resulting in 49 hits allowed in just 35 innings.

Whether Severino is eventually placed into the back-end of the rotation or pitches the rest of this campaign out of the bullpen, he must bring with him a consistent nature that lends itself the confidence to reclaim his rightful spot as the prized young pitcher he’s been, ever since signing as an international free agent in 2012, out of the Dominican Republic.

Let’s just hope for Sevvy’s sake that the Yankees don’t toy with him. You know what I’m talking about; the ole Joba Chamberlain, he’s a starer, no he belongs in the bullpen fiasco. It didn’t work so well for Phil Hughes either.

Next: Reaction to Aroldis Chapman Trade

So unless it is deemed that Severino needs more time in the minors to round his game into shape, the Yankees would be better off giving him the ball every 5th day, win, lose or draw.