NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Luis Severino #40 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the fifth inning of their game against the Houston Astros during game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Down goes another pitcher. New York Yankees’ starter Luis Severino is headed back to New York for a battery of tests on his arm. 

On Thursday, it was revealed that New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino was experiencing soreness in his right forearm. According to ESPN’s Marly Rivera, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Severino will be going to New York on Monday for three days to undergo extensive testing.

Boone says that Severino has been experiencing this discomfort since his last start against the Houston Astros in October. Severino was visibly frustrated with this setback.

According to SNY’s Sweeny Murti Severino told the media, “It’s definitely frustrating to hear this stuff again… it is so weird, I don’t get it,” and, “I just want to play baseball. I just want to pitch.”

Severino’s had a really tough 2019 season, and that’s what’s exacerbating his frustration this time around. When he spoke to Murti on Wednesday, he said, “Last year was a tough year for me, but this year I changed a little bit of my routine. We talked to the trainers and made a really good program to come here healthy.”

Severino started 2019 on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder injury, as well as a back injury. He was later moved to the 60-day injured list and did not make his season debut until mid-September.

This is the second of two blows to the Yankees’ rotation. This news comes just weeks after it was announced that James Paxton would be undergoing surgery and would likely miss the first month and a half of the season.

Severino has been an instrumental part of the Yankees’ rotation since being called up in 2015. The 26-year-old has a career 3.46 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, 125 ERA+, and 3.35 FIP. He’s a two-time All-Star and he’s finished top-10 in CY Young voting twice.

The Yankees can’t afford to lose Severino for any length of time. He’s supposed to play an important role in helping the Yankees make a deep playoff run.

The 2019 Yankees were the most injury-riddled team in the history of MLB, and it would be more than unfortunate if it all happens again in 2020. So far, it’s looking like 2019’s “next man up” mantra may need to make a comeback.

Leen has written about the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and international soccer. She is currently the primary NHL writer for ESNY. Leen's work has been featured on Bleacher Report and she was formerly a contributor for FanSided's New York Mets blog, Rising Apple. She is a co-host of the Yankees-Mets Express podcast.