Luis Severino being transferred to 60-day IL spelling fate with Yankees?

A few weeks ago, Luis Severino woke up, didn’t feel right, but proceeded to not tell anybody and instead pitch in his scheduled start. The result? Sevy left the game early with an injury, was diagnosed with a lat strain, and shut down from throwing a baseball for two weeks.

He resumed throwing on Monday, but, amid the trade deadline chaos, the Yankees opted to transfer the right-hander to the 60-day injured list, which designates him to return in mid-September.

Truth be told, it’s not that big of a difference. Sevy was on track to return toward the end of August, and now it’ll be just a few weeks later and help the Yankees with roster flexibility. Also, the more rest for him will only help, since he’s thrown a grand total of 104 innings since the start of the 2019 season.

Additionally, not to be harsh, but Severino simply cannot be trusted based on his track record with injuries as well as not reporting injury concerns to the Yankees, which perhaps dates back to the team … losing his trust? Back in 2019, the team botched a situation that resulted in him missing most of the year. He pitched in just 12 innings due to a lat strain and rotator cuff inflammation, with general manager Brian Cashman citing that a second precautionary MRI before the season started wasn’t executed because Severino “didn’t like getting in the MRI tube” and they didn’t want to broach the subject with him.

That then raised questions about Severino, and he didn’t help his cause by not reporting arm soreness during the 2019 postseason, which then eventually resulted in Tommy John surgery the following March (FIVE months later, which ruined the 2021 season), when fans were blindsided by the news. That injury saw him pitch in four games over two years, after a groin issue during a rehab start delayed his 2021 debut.

And now, here we are with his latest unreported issue, which is going to keep him out for two months.

What’s Luis Severino’s future with the Yankees after his latest injury?

With yet another injury derailing Sevy’s career, fans have to wonder if the Yankees are going to exercise his $15 million team option for 2023 or just pay the $2.75 million buyout and part ways. Is there even a guarantee he returns as a starter once he’s fully healed? A mid-September return doesn’t exactly give him a ton of time to get on track for a postseason start, right?

If he comes back as a reliever, forget about it. There’s no chance the Yankees dream of paying that money for a non-starter who can barely stay on the field. And now, factoring in Sevy’s unhappiness with the 60-day IL designation, and the writing could very well be on the wall.

Team not communicating with player again? Or player not understanding gravity of situation/ failing to take note of what’s happened with his health over the past four years?

Then again, the Yankees trading Jordan Montgomery at the deadline buzzer might force Severino into a rotation role upon his return whether that’s the plan or not. Either way, his final month-plus with the team might be the end of the road for him in pinstripes based on the Yankees’ decision on the roster move, Severino’s displeasure with it, and the fact he once again will pitch a drastically incomplete season for the fourth straight year.

Seems like this relationship was just doomed since the contract extension was signed.

Should Yankees explore contract extension talks (again) with Luis Severino?

Should the New York Yankees explore contract extension talks with starting pitcher Luis Severino again? They're going to need help in the rotation.