Mets righthander Luis Severino's improved fastball sends his confidence soaring
Mets pitcher Luis Severino throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Cincinnati. Credit: AP/Jeff Dean
CINCINNATI — The life on Luis Severino’s fastball returned Saturday. His confidence came back with it.
He rebounded from an ugly debut last weekend with a much better outing against the Reds: five innings, three hits, two runs (one earned). He struck out seven and walked two.
His performance became a footnote in the Mets’ 9-6 loss, but it nonetheless inspired optimism that maybe the super- sharp spring training version of Severino might exist in games that matter.
The turning point came in the second, when Severino aided the Cincinnati rally via a walk of No. 9 hitter Tyler Stephenson to load the bases, then a walk of Jonathan India to force in a run.
Severino’s message to catcher Omar Narvaez at that moment: ride the fastball.
“I called him to the mound [and said], ‘Hey, the heater is really good today, so let’s use that pitch,’ ” Severino said, noting that Reds hitters frequently were late on it. “Just going right in the middle, trying to overpower the hitters. That’s what I did. I told Narvaez, let’s go fastball. I got the strikeout and knew it was going to work.”
That key strikeout, to strand the bases loaded, came against Will Benson. Severino flung four consecutive fastballs, the last at 98.4 mph — the fastest pitch from anybody the whole game. The sequence was whiff, whiff, foul, whiff.
Severino, pleased, shouted on his way off the mound. His four-seamer had lacked its usual zip, that extra bit of giddy-up, in his previous outing, but it had come back.
The Benson strikeout set off a run of 10 of 11 batters retired by Severino to finish his start.
“It seemed like he flipped the script,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He was more aggressive. The fastball had life and he was a lot better.”
The rehabbers
Reliever Sean Reid-Foley received a cortisone injection to hasten the healing of his impinged right shoulder, according to Mendoza.
“He should be ramping up here pretty soon,” Mendoza said. “Feeling good. I will anticipate this being a quick ramp-up after the shot.”
Righthander Max Kranick is penciled in to begin a minor-league rehabilitation assignment this week.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
