The New York Yankees are gearing up for the postseason as they trudge forward on a West Coast road trip. They have one of the league’s best records and recently won a three-game series 2-1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Despite their success, the Yankees have had their fair share of struggles and will likely continue to hit roadblocks, especially when it comes to the starting pitching rotation.
With ace Luis Severino closing in on a return, the Bombers are in a great position to elevate their pitching and increase their efficiency in runs allowed. The 25-year-old starter felt good on Tuesday after throwing 35 pitches over two innings against Minor leaguers.
He’s scheduled to start a minor league game on Sunday this week, which would mark a significant step in his progress and recovery. The Yankees desperately need his services. In a recent article, we spoke about how manager Aaron Boone could utilize Severino during the playoffs — in an opener role, similar to how they used Chad Green this season.
Seve hasn’t started a game all year and expecting him to go five/six innings isn’t realistic. Having him open games and take the team two/three innings and then using a starter might be the best way to the maximum value. Finishing the 2018 season with a 3.39 ERA and a 19-8 record, Severino is capable of being an excellent pitcher, but the Yanks must be cautious when it comes to easing him back into playing shape.
The New York Yankees could call up a young gun:
In addition to Severino, the Bombers could look to pull up young righty Deivi Garcia, the top-rated pitcher in their farm system. Over his last 8.2 innings pitched, he’s allowed three total runs. He has struggled at times but can succeed at the top level.
Pulling him up could be a tactical move that would give the Yankees a fresh arm that can take them a few innings and give their bullpen some much-needed rest, but he could also flop and put them in a bad situation given his youth and lack of experience. He has zero playoff experience, which could act as an intimidation factor.
I don’t expect the Bombers to bring him up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. They would utilize Garcia in a relief role, but in the scenario that Severino acts as an opener, he would be a one-inning pitcher to help prepare Aroldis Chapman for the close.
In a sense, he would be the pre-closer.