Yankees' Luis Severino throws off mound for first time since Tommy John surgery

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Luis Severino threw off a mound Tuesday for the first time since having Tommy John surgery in late February 2020, and Aaron Boone couldn’t have been more thrilled.

"It was a lot of fun for me to get over there on Tuesday morning, to be there to see that first one," Boone said Thursday morning of a 20-pitch session in which Severino threw all fastballs. "And just to see how he's moving around. There's a confidence that he's kind of exuding in his health just watching him play catch. The way his body is, the kind of shape he's in. And the free and easy way in which he's throwing. He was really efficient, really kind of throwing it exactly where he wanted."

Severino, expected to be back at some point in the season’s second half, was throwing with such authority that Boone said he and the staff half-jokingly considered telling him to take it easy.

"It was coming out hot. You know, we almost said, 'Hey, back off a little bit. It's coming out a little too well,’ " Boone said with a smile. "And he wasn’t working for [the velocity] necessarily. So really encouraged about where he's at to this point."

Severino has not been able to do much since agreeing to a four-year, $40 million extension early in spring training 2019. Even before last season's setback, a rotator cuff issue and strained lat limited him to three games in 2019. The two-time All-Star went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 32 games in 2018, his last healthy season.

Bad break for Chirinos

An MRI and CT scan taken Thursday on Robinson Chirinos, in camp as a non-roster invitee to provide organizational catching depth, revealed "a fractured right wrist," the Yankees said late Thursday afternoon. Chirinos, 36, a favorite of Gerrit Cole’s from the time they spent together with the Astros in 2019, was hit on the wrist by a pitch during Wednesday night’s game against the Pirates. The Yankees said "wrist and hand specialists will be consulted in the coming days to determine the best next steps."

Nelson impressing Yankees, and others

One area of the Yankees that opposing scouts have continually mentioned is the depth of quality young arms, particularly relievers. One name that comes up as frequently as any is Nick Nelson, a 25-year-old righthander who posted a 4.79 ERA in 11 games last season, when he made his big-league debut.

"That’s been some filthy [expletive]," one rival talent evaluator said. "Night and day [from last year]. He can spin a breaking ball in there now."

Nelson has not allowed a run in five innings in three outings. He’s allowed three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Hometown pride

Bronx-born Andrew Velazquez, a 26-year-old utilityman who has played in 68 big-league games since debuting three years ago and is in camp as a non-roster invitee, singled to lead off the third against Aaron Nola, stole second and scored on Luke Voit’s single. Velazquez, a seventh-round pick of Arizona out of Fordham Prep in 2012, finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

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.