Hal Steinbrenner won't second-guess process that led to Luis Severino's Tommy John surgery
Yankees pitcher Luis Severino throws in the bullpen during spring training in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 16. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
TAMPA, Fla. – Hal Steinbrenner was, naturally, as disappointed as anyone with the news that Luis Severino would need season-ending Tommy John surgery.
But the Yankees managing general partner isn’t second-guessing the process that got the Yankees there, as many outside the organization have since Tuesday’s announcement.
“It was an odd situation,” Steinbrenner said in an interview with Newsday Wednesday afternoon. “The pain wasn’t where it normally is for Tommy John and the MRIs, which aren’t exactly unthorough, were negative. It’s unfortunate is what it is.”
Severino, who will have the surgery Thursday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, was sent to New York earlier this week for additional testing after complaining of discomfort in his right forearm, soreness that first cropped up last October. Two MRIs and a CT scan taken at various points in the offseason – Severino felt strong all winter during his throwing program, feeling the discomfort only on changeups – came back negative.
On Monday, however, a dye-cast MRI, which can catch things a regular MRI might miss, showed the slight tear.
“The stiffness [Severino felt] wasn’t near the UCL. Normally it is,” Steinbrenner said. “The reality is the stiffness wasn’t near where it almost always is in a Tommy John situation and I think that’s what threw us off a bit and that’s why we didn’t push the dye-contrast until later.”
Steinbrenner is aware of the criticism being leveled at the Yankees, who are coming off a 2019 season in which they put an MLB-record 30 players on the injured list, for their handling of Severino.
“Some people are like, ‘why didn’t he just get the surgery [much sooner]?’” Steinbrenner said. “Well, surgery’s a last resort. It’s significant and it’s a last resort. If there’s other things you can try first that have shown success in the past with players, you have to do it. But, again, we are where we are. He’s going to be out for a while, but he will be back. He’s young and he’s our guy.”
A pitcher Steinbrenner gave a four-year $40 million extension to last spring, a signing he doesn’t regret.
“It’s the inherent risk any time you’re going to spend money, whether it’s a free agent signing, a trade or an extension,” Steinbrenner shrugged. “I’m a big boy about that.”
Steinbrenner, who a few weeks earlier at the quarterly owners’ meetings said his main concern was “just getting through spring training healthy,” spoke Wednesday before Aaron Boone announced Giancarlo Stanton would be sidelined for at least a few weeks because of a Grade 1 right calf strain.
And Steinbrenner has already seen injuries claim two-fifths of the rotation. In addition to Severino, James Paxton underwent surgery on his back Feb. 5 and won’t be back until May at the earliest.
But Steinbrenner believes the Yankees have enough organizational depth to cover themselves, mentioning Jordan Montgomery, who has looked sharp so far this spring, as well as touted prospects such as Deivi Garcia, Mike King and Jonathan Loaisiga, among others.
“We’re going to have to make do and I think we will,” Steinbrenner said. “I’m sure [J.A.] Happ’s going to have a good year and I think we’ll be fine. Paxton is doing really well, so hopefully we’ll see him back sooner rather than later.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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