BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — True to what Yankees manager Aaron Boone had told reports in Toronto earlier in the day, Luis Severino threw 55-60 pitches in his rehab start in Somerset on Tuesday. To be specific, Severino threw 58 pitches in his second rehab start in less than a week as he worked his way back from a lat strain.
Severino hasn’t pitched for the Yankees this season because of the issue, but the starter said after the rehab game that he was “big league ready.” The hope going was that if things went well for the righty, he could make his season debut for the Yankees over the weekend in Cincinnati.
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After the game, he said that he wasn’t aware of what the plan would be for him and that it would be discussed either on Wednesday or Thursday. Severino said his main objective was to leave the game the same way he started it — healthy.
“Nothing else. I know when I need more pitches, my breaking ball that will be there,” Severino said. “So just getting more pitches in my arm and leaving healthy.”
Severino threw to mixed results on Tuesday as the Somerset Patriots hosted the Reading Fightin’ Phils at TD Bank Ballpark. He pitched 3.1 innings while allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three batters.
He topped out at 97 mph during the start. There appeared to be a bit of confusion with how hard he was throwing because the stadium video board was showing his pitches at a slightly lower velocity.
“At the beginning, I was a little concerned,” Severino said. “I saw a lot of 91 up there. I was like there’s no way this is (right). And then I asked, it was 95, 97. I was like, ‘OK I’m good.’ I think my fastball was going to be there. That’s not my worry at all.
The Yankees starters allowed several hard-hit balls during the outing, including two in an 11-pitch first inning. His fastball hit 97 mph while striking out Reading left fielder Ethan Wilson to end the inning.
It was in the second inning that Reading shortstop McCarthy Tatum had a hard hit single up the middle that drove in a run off Severino, but he was able to get the next two batters to pop out and he struck out designated hitter Madison Stokes looking during a four-pitch at-bat.
Severino was called for a pitch clock violation in the third inning after giving up a leadoff double during a seven-pitch at-bat. He was able to get the next three batters he faced out — including Striking out Wilson for the second time in the game — and ended the third at 51 pitches.
It was the fourth where Severino got beat up a bit, giving up a single to start the inning and then allowing Tatum to hit a long ball off the center field wall for a double. He exited after Reading catcher Cody Roberts hit a sac fly to center.
“When you get hit down here, that means you’re ready for the big leagues. That happens every time when you go to a rehab assignment – you get hit. Yeah, I’m big league ready,” Severino said.
Severino was throwing his second rehab start after throwing one in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last Wednesday. He pitched 3.1 innings while striking out three, walking one batter and allowing one run in the 49-pitch appearance in the previous outing.
The righty has been recovering from a lat strain that has kept him out of a Yankees jersey since spring training. He was having a rough go of it during the exhibition season, starting five games and posting a 9.00 ERA while striking out 23 batters.
“You want to be out there competing and the good thing right now I’m healthy and really close to being back,” Severino said.
Tuesday marked the third consecutive season that Severino had made an appearance with the Patriots for a rehab assignment. Severino has been a bit of a good luck charm for Somerset when he’s been with the team helping to be a part of no-hitters on both occasions.
In 2021, Severino started the franchise’s first no-hitter when he threw four perfect innings on August 8, 2021. The following year, Severino started a doubleheader in Hartford on September 7, 2022, in which the Patriots won the first game and then threw a no-no in the second game.
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