Yankees pitcher Luis Severino left Friday night’s loss to the White Sox after just 2 2/3 innings with elbow discomfort, and after the game was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild right triceps strain. But the early prognosis is especially troubling.
Severino’s last two pitches of the night registered at 95 and 96 mph, but his initial area of pain and discomfort is generally a sign of a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which requires Tommy John surgery.
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Friday’s loss dropped Severino to 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA, so he hasn’t been much help to the struggling Yankees this season. But manager Joe Girardi said the elbow discomfort was a new development Friday.
"I think if it was an ongoing issue, you wouldn't see (pitches in the 97 and 98 mph range). So I think whatever popped up was new today," Girardi said (via ESPN.com). "But it's a concern. Whenever someone leaves a game because of something in their elbow, you're really concerned. We'll just have to wait and see."
Severino will be completely shut down for five to seven days. For the sake of both the Yankees and the the 22-year-old righty's young career, hopefully this triceps strain isn’t the start to a much bigger problem.