Yankees pitcher Luis Severino has been placed on the 15-day injured list after an MRI revealed a low-grade strain of his right lat, the team announced Thursday.
Severino, 28, made his 16th start of the season on Wednesday against the Reds and pitched two innings before exiting with right shoulder tightness after throwing one warmup pitch prior to the start of the third. New York later announced the righthander would undergo further testing the following day.
Prior to exiting, Severino allowed one run in the first inning before surrendering three consecutive home runs in the second, prompting manager Aaron Boone to halt play and check on him at the mound. He would retired the next three batters before calling it a night. After the game, Severino described the moment he realized something was off while speaking to reporters.
“After the second inning when I was warming up, it was getting worse,” he said. “I told myself, before something even bigger happens, stop it right here. Hopefully, it’s not something that will take too much time.”
Thursday’s news marks the latest setback for the two-time All-Star following a string of devastating injuries over the last three seasons. Severino missed all of the 2020 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and pitched only three times in ’19 before sitting the rest of the year with rotator cuff inflammation and a lat strain.
Severino’s reinstatement from IL this past September concluded a 706-day stint on the list, and came after a lengthy rehab, as well as a groin injury he sustained during his rehab stint in High-A. In his 16 starts this season, Severino has posted a 3.45 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched (5–3 W-L).
While it’s unclear how much time Severino will miss, the club has already selected RHP Ryan Weber from the Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to join the 26-man roster. New York also reinstated RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (shoulder) from the 15-day IL.
After securing a 7–6 victory in extra innings on Wednesday, the Yankees will look to improve their AL-leading 62–26 record with another win to close their road series against the Reds (33–55) on Thursday night.
