Luis Severino won’t be back on the mound any time soon.
The 25-year-old Yankees starter has a Grade 2 lat strain and will be shut down for six more weeks, the team announced Tuesday. Severino was already dealing with shoulder inflammation and has not pitched this season.
But, the strain is a new and unrelated injury, according to the team.
Luis Severino has a Grade 2 lat strain and will be shut down from throwing for six weeks. The lat strain is separate and different from the shoulder injury.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) April 9, 2019
Severino was scratched from a spring training start in early March with shoulder discomfort and was originally expected to miss just two weeks. General manager Brian Cashman then told reporters later in the month that Severino would be out until at least May.
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Severino’s rehab had reportedly “stalled” in recent weeks and manager Aaron Boone told reporters Monday the ace “didn’t feel great.” He underwent an MRI one day later, which revealed the strain.
“He’s been saying, ‘Yeah, I feel OK,’ but why isn’t he getting to that point where, ‘Yeah, let’s get on the mound’?” Boone told reporters Monday, via Newsday.
The two-time All-Star registered a 19-8 record with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts for the Yankees in 2018. He signed a four-year, $40 million extension with New York in February.
The Yankees have dealt with a rash of injuries so far this season and currently have multiple key pieces on the injured list. Boone, however, said CC Sabathia should be back some time this weekend while reliever Dellin Betances will throw a simulated game.
The Yankees entered their matchup with the Astros in Houston on Tuesday with a 5-5 record.