New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino again is dealing with what is being described as a low-grade right lat strain and will likely start the season on the injured list, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday.
Severino was scratched from his final spring training start and will miss at least his first scheduled regular-season start, Boone said.
It is the latest hit to the Yankees’ starting rotation, with Carlos Rodon (forearm strain) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) also beginning the season on the injured list.
Boone said Severino, 29, won’t throw for at least five days. He last pitched in a Grapefruit League game Tuesday, striking out nine while giving up two runs over four innings. He gave up six home runs this spring and had a 9.00 ERA.
Severino missed more than two months last season with the same injury, which was also initially described as a low-grade strain at the time. The Yankees exercised a $15 million option for this season after Severino went 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts in 2022.
Severino was scheduled to start the second game of the season, and Clarke Schmidt will move into that spot. As for replacing Severino in the rotation, Boone said Jhony Brito is among the options to fill in as a fifth starter.
Severino, a two-time All-Star, missed most of the 2019 and 2021 seasons and all of 2020 because of shoulder and elbow injuries, throwing just 18 combined innings over that span.
