Luis Severino will make his MLB debut for the New York Yankees on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox. The 21-year-old got the call to the big league roster over the weekend after Michael Pineda was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a forearm strain. Could Severino make a case to remain in the rotation for the entire month and possibly beyond?
News broke today that Pineda will be out until September, which is no surprise considering closer Andrew Miller missed about the same amount of time with the same injury.
Cashman: You will not see Michael Pineda in MLB games in August. Hoping for September.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 4, 2015
Cashman rules out Pineda coming back in August.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 4, 2015
However, rumors are likely to spur regarding Severino and his potential stay in the Yankees' rotation beyond his debut. Trade rumors surrounded the Yankees in regards to their need for starting pitching prior to the deadline, but they didn't strike any deals.
If Severino performs well on Wednesday and is granted another start, is there a good chance he takes Pineda's spot until the veteran returns? Manager Joe Girardi is confident the youngster can handle the promotion, so it's certainly a possibility given the state of the team's starting pitching.
"There are no guarantees, but I saw his personality in spring training and the way he handled himself and he wasn't overwhelmed," Girardi told George A. King III of the New York Post when referring to Severino being able to adapt to the spotlight. "Sometimes with pitchers it takes a year, and that wasn't the case with him. That makes me think he will be able to handle it."
Severino has dominated at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and earned the promotion after going 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 11 starts (61 1/3 innings). The rotation is struggling with a 4.37 ERA (23rd in MLB) and New York doesn't really have any reliable mainstays as of right now.
Masahiro Tanaka has not been at his best and his arm health is still a mystery; C.C. Sabathia has been the worst starter on the staff this season; Nathan Eovaldi has been solid as of late, but he's mostly characterized by inconsistency and has only pitched beyond the sixth inning twice since the beginning of June; Ivan Nova has been effective since returning from Tommy John surgery, but he cannot be relied upon to carry the load after not pitching for a full year; and the team has moved Adam Warren and Bryan Mitchell to the bullpen.
This opens the door for Severino if he can prove he's capable of handling the MLB at such a young age.
This won't be a one-and-done for Luis Severino, Yankees say. He's here to be in the rotation.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 4, 2015
Tune into ESPN at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday to watching Severino's debut against the Boston Red Sox.
