DENVER — The Yankees are optimistic that Luis Severino utilized the All-Star break effectively. Monday marks the beginning of the struggling right-hander’s opportunity to revive his season and the team hoping for his redemption.
Luis Severino will take the mound as the starter for the Yankees in their upcoming series against the Angels in Anaheim, California. He aims to break out of his recent slump, which has resulted in a disappointing 6.38 ERA over his last nine starts.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is hopeful that the All-Star break has had a positive impact on Luis Severino. According to him, the starter is healthy and possesses the necessary stuff to succeed. He outlined that the key for Severino is executing his pitches effectively. He believes that the time off during the break, combined with focused practice and adjustments in his delivery, will help elevate Luis Severino’s performance to a higher level.
The manager rejected the suggestions about sending the starter to the minors and told that the Yankees had not discussed the possibility of sending Severino to the minor leagues to address his struggles.
Concerns persist about Luis Severino’s performance
Luis Severino’s performances in his last two starts before the All-Star break were particularly difficult, as he struggled and allowed a total of 14 earned runs over 6 ²/₃ innings against the Cardinals and Orioles.
There was a demand from the Yankees fans to send the starter to the Triple-A affiliates. The idea behind this approach would be to allow him to work on his issues in a lower-pressure environment, similar to what the Blue Jays did with Alek Manoah. It’s worth noting that Luis Severino would need to agree to such a move since he has more than five years of major league service time.
Instead, the Yankees have committed to thoroughly analyzing Luis Severino’s performances and making adjustments between his starts to help him improve. Severino had already missed a significant portion of the season due to a strained right lat, adding further urgency to their efforts to assist him.
For now, Luis Severino’s spot in the rotation is secure as there are no immediate alternatives. Nestor Cortes, who is currently on the injured list, is not expected to be available for several more weeks.
After undergoing a lengthy recovery process, Cortes is set to showcase his progress by participating in live batting practice on Monday afternoon in Anaheim. He is scheduled to be activated from the 60-day injured list on August 3rd, following the completion of his eligibility period.
Boone acknowledged that Luis Severino is in good physical condition and currently pitching effectively. There are no concerns about his velocity or the quality of his pitches. The focus is on refining his mechanics, incorporating elements of deception to keep hitters off balance, and making minor adjustments to improve his overall consistency and execution on the mound. The key is to ensure that Luis Severino maintains a high level of performance by fine-tuning his approach.
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I suspect Severino is tipping his pitches. He’s been getting hammered lately and it’s not helping his cause to stay in the rotation. I used to support Boone but now I’m questioning his managerial decision making. Either he really needs to learn how to be a field manager or resign and let Luis Rojas manage this club. Grow some balls Boone!