The New York Yankees were dealt a significant blow on Tuesday when they learned that Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery. After missing nearly the entire 2019 season, Severino will be put on the shelf once again.
Although he was able to return to start five games (two in the postseason), multiple injuries sidelined the Dominican-born pitcher for the majority of 2019.
Severino’s power arm is shutting down at a time when the Yankees truly need him for a World Series chase. To add insult to injury, Severino’s four-year, $40 million contract extension kicks in this year. However, the Yankees have a club option on the fourth year of the deal if Sevy never truly recovers from this injury.
The righty hurler finished third in Cy Young voting during his remarkable 2017 season and advanced to his second All-Star Game in 2018, but it’s been all downhill for Severino since. His postseason issues are well-documented, but his ability to stay on the field is of greater concern.
This is a devastating hit to New York’s rotation, one that will already be without James Paxton until at least May and Domingo German for the first 81 games of the season.
With Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka holding down the top of the rotation, the pressure is on J.A. Happ and Jordan Montgomery to shore up the rest of the unit. New York will also have to rely on a young player like Deivi Garcia or Michael King to fill the fifth starter spot in the wake of this Severino news.
