Yankees starter Luis Severino likely to miss start of regular season due to lat strain

The 2023 MLB regular season didn't come fast enough for the New York Yankees. The team announced its third starting pitcher injury of the spring on Saturday, as manager Aaron Boone revealed that Luis Severino would miss his next spring start due to a right lat injury.

The injury will likely result in a stint on the injured list for Severino, meaning he will miss the start of the regular season.

Severino was in line to start the second game of the regular season for the Yankees. Ace Gerrit Cole will start Opening Day, the team announced Friday.

When healthy, Severino has performed like one of the better pitchers in baseball. Health, however, has been a major issue for the right-hander. After undergoing Tommy John surgery, Severino missed the entire 2020 MLB season. He has pitched just 108 innings the past two years since returning from surgery.

Last season, Severino made 19 starts for the Yankees. He posted a 3.18 ERA over 102 innings.

Yankees already dealing with depleted rotation

The injury leaves the Yankees thin in the rotation to open the season. In addition to the Severino injury, the Yankees are expected to be without Carlos Rodón and Frankie Montas when the regular season starts. Rodón is out due to a forearm injury, though he has made progress and could return in April. Montas underwent shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him sidelined until later this season.

The injuries should provide a larger opportunity for Clarke Schmidt, the team's first-round pick in 2017. Schmidt turned in a strong performance last season, posting a 3.12 ERA in 57 2/3 innings in both the rotation and the bullpen.

Schmidt came into spring as a starter with hopes of breaking into the rotation. The injuries should give him a little more runway at the start of the season, should he stumble out of the gate.