There’s being unlucky, and then there’s being eternally plagued by an unjustified injury plague. The New York Yankees have been at the forefront of modern medical and conditioning programs, yet, have experienced some of the highest injury numbers in history.
Last season, the Yanks saw 30 players visit the injured list 39 individual times. Starting pitcher, Luis Severino was a part of that unfortunate group, only seeing action toward the end of the regular season and playoffs. However, forearm discomfort began to affect him in his final postseason appearance against the Houston Astros.
In the past week, James Paxton, Aaron Judge, and now Severino have all landed on the injury report, and the strong-armed righty is tired of the constant fighting.
“I just want to play baseball. I just want to pitch,” Severino explained. “I’ve been doing everything that they wanted me to do in the offseason to come here healthy. I was doing good, feeling health until yesterday.
Severino was simply watching television at home when he began to feel discomfort in his elbow — something he’d been facing since October. Initial tests returned negative, indicating that there isn’t any significant damage but possibly a “loose body” in the forearm that’s causing pain.
The Yankees starter could face surgery as an option
“It’s definitely frustrating to hear this stuff happening again,” Severino said about the prospect of missing time for a second season in a row. “We’re dealing with it, seeing what we can do to keep me healthy.”
Luis stated that he only feels the injury when he throws his changeup, which could correlate to the angle of his elbow and spin being put on the ball. If he’s able to return to the field in 2020, Severino will see his changeup percentage drop significantly, essentially taking a pitch out of his arsenal.
“It is so weird, that’s why I don’t get it,” he said. “If it was something major, when I throw my fastball and my slider I would feel it, but it’s only on one pitch.”
The pain seems to be located in a specific spot, as Severino stated, his overall health is in good shape. If the Bombers can find a way to solve this problem, they can mitigate the risk of losing their No. 2 starter for a good chunk of the upcoming season.