Limited choices for Yankees as the latest Luis Severino strategy fizzles

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In an endeavor to address Luis Severino‘s ongoing challenges this year, the Yankees embarked on an unconventional path on Wednesday, seeking a means to guide him back to form. However, the decision to utilize Luis Severino in a relief role, adopting an opener approach involving Ian Hamilton, resulted in familiar outcomes for the 29-year-old — and prompted comparable uncertainties.

In the context of the Yankees’ 9-2 loss to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, Luis Severino’s struggle was evident as he conceded four runs over two-plus innings, relinquishing five hits, including a home run. This performance echoed Luis Severino’s own recent assessment of being the weakest pitcher in baseball. His 8.06 ERA across 14 appearances this season indeed places him at the bottom among pitchers who have thrown 40 or more innings.

Luis Severino’s entry from the bullpen to commence the second inning against the White Sox on Wednesday proved challenging, as he allowed three runs within the initial four batters he faced. This sequence involved three forceful hits, including a forceful two-run homer launched by Chicago’s Oscar Colás. An additional run was relinquished by Luis Severino in the subsequent inning, as he struggled to find command and vitality in his pitches.

The fourth inning commenced with Luis Severino issuing a four-pitch walk, prompting Yankees manager Aaron Boone to make a deliberate journey to the mound, signaling for a bullpen change.

Following Wednesday night’s 9-2 defeat, Luis Severino emphasized his commitment to making progress, stating that he is willing to take any necessary steps to enhance his performance. He acknowledged the difficulties he has faced this season and expressed his determination to keep pushing forward in pursuit of improvement.

Luis Severino’s situation is a disaster

Entering the day, Luis Severino held a 7.74 ERA over 13 starts this season. His struggles were particularly evident in the first inning, where he carried a daunting 13.85 ERA with opponents posting a .436/.507/.790 slash line against him. Hoping to provide a smoother beginning by utilizing an opener strategy, the Yankees aimed to set up a more favorable situation for Luis Severino.

The entire scenario revolving around Luis Severino is proving to be a calamity. In Wednesday’s game, the Yankees utilized one of their top relievers, Ian Hamilton, who was pulled after just 10 pitches in the first inning, leaving the bulk of the workload to Luis Severino. Unfortunately, his outing lasted merely two-plus innings, placing a significant burden on the rest of the bullpen to cover 15 additional outs.

James Smyth, a statistician from the YES Network, highlighted Luis Severino’s struggles, noting that he holds the worst statistics among pitchers for ERA (14.79), opposing batting average (.441), opposing on-base percentage (.506), and opposing slugging percentage (.824) in their first inning of work in the league this season.

While Luis Severino’s performance has shown marginal improvement in the second inning, his difficulties extend beyond a challenging opening frame. Prior to Wednesday, his ERA stood at 4.15 in the second, 8.53 in the third, 4.76 in the fourth, and 7.36 in the fifth.

Taking over from Hamilton in the second inning on Wednesday, Luis Severino encountered immediate trouble, allowing a leadoff double to Yoán Moncada, followed by an RBI single to Yasmani Grandal and a two-run homer to Oscar Colás. The third inning saw Moncada delivering another blow with an RBI double, extending the White Sox’s lead to 4-0. After Severino issued a leadoff walk to Grandal in the fourth, Manager Aaron Boone opted to turn to the bullpen once again.

Luis Severino, who admitted he was taken aback by not starting the game, conceded that his manager’s assessment was accurate. He acknowledged that he made a mistake by throwing a hanger that led to a two-run home run by Oscar Colás, and he also recognized his shortcomings in locating pitches for Yasmani Grandal’s RBI single and Yoán Moncada’s RBI double.

Luis Severino conveyed his determination to make necessary changes for improvement, recognizing that the current year has presented significant difficulties, especially in his role as a starter.

Time for the Yankees to make a tough decision

Luis Severino’s struggles in his contract-ending season, following a prolonged injury absence, eliminate the possibility of securing a lucrative deal in the free-agent market. A return to the Yankees seems unlikely. It appears that the Yankees starting pitcher may only receive short-term, one-year contracts given his current situation, which doesn’t warrant multi-year commitments.

The Yankees’ persistence in persisting with Luis Severino, hoping for a turnaround from his abysmal season, is also a source of disappointment. With the team’s precarious position outside of the postseason, relying on Luis Severino in games has often led to disappointment. Since June 1, the Yankees have only won three games in which he pitched, and his performance has been overshadowed by exceptional offensive displays in two of those instances. His presence has hindered the team’s playoff prospects, rendering him an ineffective and seemingly unfixable asset.

With Randy Vásquez (who boasts a 1.17 ERA in three MLB starts) as a probable replacement for Carlos Rodón during his stint on the injured list, the Yankees face a critical decision regarding Luis Severino. Manager Boone stressed that they are exploring all possible avenues to help Severino regain his form. Presently, they have three options.

One choice is to transition Luis Severino to a true relief role in the bullpen, avoiding his role as an opener. This could potentially extract some value from him in a mop-up capacity and gradually reintroduce him to higher-pressure situations. Perhaps his skills will be more effective in shorter stints where he can maximize his abilities immediately.

Alternatively, the Yankees may consider placing Luis Severino on the injured list to provide him with the necessary time to address his struggles or make the bold decision to release him from the roster.

Once Rodón’s return is imminent, in about two weeks if all goes well, the Yankees can proceed with Vásquez in the rotation. This combination of Cole, Schmidt, Cortes, Rodón, and Vásquez offers a more promising lineup compared to the alternative.

Despite his challenging circumstances, Luis Severino can rely on the support of his teammates. Even as his performance hits new lows, both team captain Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka remain in his corner.

Higashioka expressed his belief in Luis Severino’s abilities, stating that he is typically a dominant pitcher and expressing his hope for him to regain his true form.

Judge expressed his confidence in Luis Severino’s ability to overcome his challenges, highlighting his dedication and work ethic. He believes that Severino will find a solution to his struggles when the team needs him the most.

After his performance on Wednesday, Luis Severino’s ERA surged to 8.06, making it the highest among pitchers with 60 or more innings pitched this season. This comes in the midst of a challenging period for him, marked by three consecutive losses and a total of 18 runs conceded in just 9.1 innings pitched.

Luis Severino acknowledged that he was currently experiencing the most challenging season of his baseball career.

It’s quite likely that Luis Severino won’t take the mound as a starter for the Yankees in the future. Realistically, unless a remarkable turnaround occurs, it would be considered poor decision-making if he were given that role again.

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