The New York Yankees have been dealing with injuries and poor performances from their starting rotation for much of the season and they can't afford to continually endure such struggles if they hope to stay atop the AL East for the rest of the year.
New York's 4.26 starter's ERA ranks 19th in the MLB and they've been mixing and matching a number of pitchers into the rotation as Masahiro Tanaka (wrist, forearm), Chase Whitley (Tommy John surgery), Ivan Nova (recovering from TJ) and Chris Capuano (quad) have missed a lot of time to start the season. The continuity has been poor while CC Sabathia (5.67 ERA) and Nathan Eovaldi (4.40 ERA) have not performed to expectations.
Now the rumors are picking up.
Is top pitching prospect Luis Severino getting closer to making his MLB debut with the Yankees?
"I have no idea,'' general manager Brian Cashman told George A. King III of the New York Post last week. "The game tells you.''
The 21-year-old was promoted from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last week and made his first appearance on Sunday. He surrendered two earned runs on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings against the Norfolk Tides. He threw 91 pitches in the no-decision and struck out three batters.
The right-hander got the call to Triple-A after going 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.105 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in eight starts (38 innings) with Trenton. Severino cruised through three levels in the minors last season, accumulating a 6-5 record with a 2.47 ERA, 1.062 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 24 starts (113 innings) between Class A Charleston, Class A Advanced Tampa and Double-A Trenton.
If he were to do three levels in 2015, the next step is the Yankees' MLB roster.
"Obviously it's a step closer and the way it usually happens is, somebody goes down physically or somebody's struggling, you talk about the guys in Triple-A before you talk about the guys in Double-A," Girardi told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. "He's that much closer now, in a sense. So we'll pay attention to what he's doing."
Severino, the Yankees No. 1 prospect and the MLB's No. 35 prospect (according to Baseball America), is certainly making strides and has a chance to crack the starting rotation on the 25-man roster at some point this year if he performs at Triple-A. The team has been mentioned in trade rumors regarding a number of the top starters that will be available on the market before the deadline, but the Yankees new philosophy of building through the farm system may supersede that.
"I don't see us making a major acquisition for a pitcher [at this time] but I'm not going to say I wouldn't do it," Cashman told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
"The returns of Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova can improve the rotation," Cafardo wrote. "Top pitching prospect Luis Severino was recently moved up to Triple A and could be in New York before long."
If New York doesn't make a blockbuster deal at the deadline then Severino's chances of making his MLB debut drastically increase, that is, if he puts up solid numbers in Scranton. The Yankees could use the help because most of their veterans have not been able to stay healthy or provide quality outings.
"Severino could be a difference-maker in the Yankees' rotation in the second half of the season," writes ESPN Insider Jim Bowden. "The Yankees have declined several trade offers for him and have no intention of dealing him, even if it were to land them a Cole Hamels orJohnny Cueto. He is an important part of the Yankees' future."
