Luis Severino wastes lifeline, stares at bullpen demotion

In back-to-back starts, Luis Severino found himself putting the Yankees at a disadvantage right from the beginning, and unfortunately, this time was no different. The struggling pitcher allowed a three-run home run to Houston Astros rookie Yainer Diaz during the first inning on Friday night, establishing the tone for yet another challenging performance in the Yankees’ 7-3 defeat in the Bronx.

In addition to surrendering a three-run home run in the first inning, Luis Severino gave up a run in the second when he hit Alex Bregman with the bases loaded. His struggles continued as he allowed a solo home run to Yordan Alvarez in the fifth inning, leading to his early exit from the game. The Yankee Stadium crowd expressed their discontent with Luis Severino’s performance, as they booed him as he left the field on Friday.

Luis Severino sinks to a new low putting the Yankees into a hole

Luis Severino expressed his thoughts after the game, mentioning that whenever he gave up a home run or a run in the first inning, it perturbed him to make an assessment of himself. He admitted to searching for potential issues, such as mechanics or tipping pitches. Luis Severino acknowledged that facing a strong lineup like the Astros meant that any mistakes he made would be capitalized upon.

“I’m not going to lie, every time I give up a homer or a run in the first inning, it’s like, ‘Jesus Christ, what am I doing?’ And I start looking for different stuff,” Luis Severino said told. “Is this mechanics? Is this tipping [pitches]? This is a really good lineup. If you make mistakes, you’re gonna pay for it.”

The 29-year-old has been a two-time All-Star and is approaching free agency. However, in his latest outing, he struggled, conceding five runs over four innings, resulting in a 2-6 record and an inflated ERA of 7.74.

Luis Severino’s challenging performance occurred only five days after he allowed nine runs, with seven of them coming in the first inning, during a loss against the Baltimore Orioles. Following that game, he openly expressed feeling like “the worst pitcher in the game.”

At that particular moment, Luis Severino held the unfortunate distinction of having the highest ERA among pitchers in MLB who have thrown over 60 innings this year. However, when Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright also had a rough outing later in the evening in St. Louis, the Yankees starter moved to the second spot on that unimpressive leaderboard. Nevertheless, the undeniable truth remains that Luis Severino’s performance has been extremely disappointing this year, leading to a growing realization that his time in the Yankees’ starting rotation may be coming to an end.

The reason behind the loud boos from Yankees fans as Luis Severino exited the mound in the fifth inning was evident. He left the game shortly after yielding a home run to Yordan Alvarez, extending Houston’s lead to 5-1. This marked the second home run allowed by Luis Severino in what turned out to be a nightmarish outing for him.

Is a bullpen demotion on the card?

Following the lopsided game against Baltimore, Yankees manager Aaron Boone refrained from confirming whether Luis Severino would be the starter in his next scheduled game. However, despite the uncertainty, Severino did take the mound on Friday. Unfortunately, his performance began with a double allowed to Jose Altuve on the first pitch of the game, followed by a walk to Kyle Tucker, before Diaz’s two-out home run added to the early struggles.

After Friday’s game, Boone did not dismiss the possibility of shifting Luis Severino to the bullpen, stating that they are considering all options at this point. The Yankees manager mentioned that they would have discussions regarding Luis Severino’s situation. The primary focus is to help Severino find the much-needed consistency, regardless of the decision they ultimately make.

Luis Severino’s recent outing marked the sixth occasion in 13 starts this season where he conceded five or more runs.

According to Luis Severino, he still considers himself a starting pitcher and enjoys having designated days for his starts. However, he emphasized that ultimately, he was a team player willing to fulfill any role the team requires of him.

In six out of his 13 starts this season, Luis Severino has permitted five or more runs, with only one outing being an exception. Additionally, in all but one of those games, he has allowed five or more hits. Notably, Luis Severino’s first-inning performance has been particularly challenging, evidenced by the three-run home run by Astros catcher Yainer Diaz with two outs on Friday night, contributing to a staggering 13.85 ERA in the first inning for the season. Moreover, opponents have achieved a .435 batting average (27-for-62) with 20 runs against him in 13 first innings during the 2023 season.

The Yankees’ defeat on Friday put an end to their two-game winning streak. Prior to Friday, they secured a win against the Rays on Wednesday to prevent a three-game sweep and followed it up with a victory in Thursday’s series opener against the Astros. With the loss, their overall record stands at 57-53, and they now trail by 3.5 games in their pursuit of the third and final AL Wild Card spot.

The Yankees are looking forward to a potential uplift on Saturday afternoon as Nestor Cortes returns to action after recovering from a rotator cuff strain. This will be his first start since May 30. He is slated to face off against Justin Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, who will be making his debut start for the Astros following their acquisition from the Mets during last Tuesday’s trade deadline.

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