Luis Severino Tosses Three Scoreless in Rehab Start

Luis Severino pitched three scoreless innings for High-A Tampa Sunday as he works his way back from the triceps strain that has sidelined him since May 13. The 22-year-old breezed through the Brevard County Manatees lineup, allowing only two hits and striking out two while throwing 43 pitches.

The team seems to be taking it easy with their prized right hander. The 50-60 pitch limit he was on Sunday is well short of what would be needed to prepare him for a return to the majors. It is almost certain that he will receive one or two more rehab starts before the Yankees consider bringing him back. Although the elbow pain that forced him out of his last start against the White Sox turned out to be a relatively minor issue, an arm injury to a pitcher as valuable as Severino can never be taken lightly.

No official announcement has been made, but it’s likely his next start will come for Double-A Trenton or Triple-A Scranton where more advanced hitters can further challenge the young righty. Both teams have home games on Friday when Severino would be lined up for his next start.

After that, the Yankees will have to assess the best course of action for Severino’s development. He has followed up his strong 2015 debut with a 7.46 ERA and 5.48 WHIP in his first seven starts this year. Both manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman have said his struggles in the early going were unrelated to his recent injury. Even before hitting the disabled list, many were suggesting that Severino could benefit from some time in the minors.

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With four of New York’s five starters pitching very well this month, Severino may find it difficult to push his way back into the Yankee rotation. The only shaky performance recently has been Michael Pineda, but he has as much front of the rotation potential as Severino, with a considerably longer MLB track record.