Why You Shouldn't Worry About Luis Severino's 'Uncharacteristic' Start to Spring Training
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Luis Severino made his second start of the spring on Friday and for the second time, he struggled to get batters out.
The Yankees right-hander allowed three earned runs on four hits, walking four batters in 1.2 frames in a 6-5 loss to the Phillies. He didn't record a strikeout.
Severino was laboring so much in the first inning that manager Aaron Boone was forced to pull the plug, bringing in a reliever in so the starter didn't exceed his pitch count for the day. Lenient rules in Grapefruit League play allow for hurlers to return the following frame even after a pitching change.
An ugly stat line and some cringe-worthy exit velocity numbers might be a concern during the regular season, but for Severino—in his first spring training since Tommy John surgery in February of 2020—this was far from a step back.
"Every time I go out there and I can play catch tomorrow, that's forward," Severino said in the visitor's clubhouse at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater. "I feel happy every time I get in an outing, throw two innings or one inning and I'm healthy, that's a step forward for me."
Severino acknowledged that his command was the biggest issue on Friday, similar to his shaky spring debut five days prior against the Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Don't even bother to look at Severino's ERA for the spring, though. That four-digit number will be wiped clean on April 7 when the regular season begins. Besides, while Severino continues to focus on staying healthy, his manager and starting catcher are overwhelmingly encouraged about how he looks on the mound so far.
Therefore, you should be too.
"I thought he looked good. The stuff is considerably nastier I think than last time I caught him," Kyle Higashioka said Friday, singling out the movement on Severino's pitches along with his velocity. "I just think once he gets a little better feel for the zone, he's gonna be rolling. That was basically the whole thing. We were just getting behind on some guys and moving the zone a little bit but I have all the confidence in the world that he's going to be right where he needs to be by Opening Day."
Higashioka added that even if Severino's lack of command is "uncharacteristic," he has faith the right-hander will make the necessary adjustments before these games actually start to count.
Boone assuaged some fans as well, clarifying that Severino's physical wellbeing is far more significant than the numbers in the box score in the month of March.
"I really don't worry about results that much with a lot of the guys, it's more about what you're seeing physically, how they're responding," he said, reclining the manager's office postgame. "I think everything we're seeing so far has been encouraging."
Severino threw 49 pitches on Friday. If he takes the mound every fifth day from here on out, as scheduled, he's in line to make two more starts before his regular season debut on April 9.
That gives the right-hander some time to hone in on his command and get more comfortable with his routine, continuing to distance himself from his three-year run of injuries.
If the former ace struggles to this extent when the regular season begins, different conversations will be had. Until then, watch some highlights of Severino in his prime back in 2017 and 2018. That's the type of pitcher New York could be adding back to their rotation on a full-time basis this spring.
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