At a bad time for Yankees, Luis Severino is now a concern
What is the worst thing that has happened to the Yankees since returning from a successful weekend series in Los Angeles? Losing Aaron Judge to a toe injury is high on the list, as is breathing toxic air that likely portends the eventual end of life on Earth.
Oh yes, and All-Star starting pitcher Nestor Cortes hit the injured list with an ominous shoulder strain, where Carlos Rodon has been since March -- which means that Luis Severino is even more important to the team’s success than he was before.
It is therefore a terrible time for Severino to emerge as a legitimate concern, but that’s what has happened after the right-hander allowed six home runs over two starts and featured a fastball with less velocity than usual and even less life -- not to mention a slider that lacked bite.
Last Friday at Dodger Stadium, Severino allowed seven runs and nine hits in four innings. In that start, his heater, which had averaged 97.3 mph on the season, dropped to 94.9 mph.
That came as a bit of a shock, because in Severino’s first two starts of a season delayed by a lat injury, he mostly featured the level of stuff that has made him an ace-type talent when healthy.
His follow-up to the LA stinker came Thursday at Yankee Stadium, and did not ease many concerns. In the 6-5 Yankee loss to Chicago in Game 1 of a doubleheader, Severino allowed four runs in five innings, all on three home runs.
His average fastball velocity found a middle ground between normal and uh-oh at 95.6 mph -- but it failed to hold the 96-97 mph it touched during the first two innings. More importantly it lacked life, zip, or as Aaron Boone called it, crispness.
“It’s just that crispness,” the manager said. “It’s not always the [velocity] number. You can tell from the side. He’ll be out there many times with that good 94-95. Same with Gerrit [Cole]. Sometimes he’s 94-95. It’s not the numbers. You can see the crispness on it, and that was probably a bit lacking.”
Earlier this season, the Mets’ Max Scherzer had a similar issue -- his fastball was 93-94, which can be enough, but it had no life. Too often it sat middle-middle, like a high-end batting practice pitch.
At least Scherzer could take comfort in knowing a clear reason for his issue; he had a scapular injury, and when that healed, much of his zip returned.
Severino says he is healthy, and that he does not know exactly why he has suddenly lost his best weapon.
“I’m not 100 percent sure what’s going on, but the bottom line is I need to fix it,” he said. “This is unacceptable.”
Severino added that he can succeed at his current velo if he has command and is able to hit the corners of the strike zone. On Thursday, he did not: Jake Burger’s homer in the second came off a 96 mph fastball that was middle-up in the zone, and Luis Robert Jr.’s in the third was off a 94.9 mph fastball that didn’t quite make it to the outside corner.
The final homer came when Yoan Moncada drove a 95.4 mph, first-pitch heater to right-center. That pitch actually did nab the inside corner, but too many others missed their intended landing spot.
Severino says he needs to venture a deeper dive to figure out what is happening. He didn’t directly answer a question about whether he is in a dead-arm phase, which wouldn’t be strange during a pitcher’s fourth start of the season.
“I can’t go out there and give up three homers every time I get the ball,” Severino said. “I need to fix it quick.”
Suddenly, the Yankees must feel the same urgency. With so many key players missing and the American League East not getting any easier, the team now needs to tread water in the middle of what could be a special season.
In order to do that, they need Severino at his best. Or at least better than this.
