Luis Severino lacking command, but his velocity is fine

CLEARWATER, Fla. – It was just over seven years ago that the Yankees debuted a weapon in this same ballpark that they hoped – if not in 2015, then soon thereafter – would become a front-end staple of their rotation.

Luis Severino, who had just turned 21 and finished the previous season throwing smoke in Double-A, threw what one rival American League scout termed “electric stuff” over 1 1/3 innings of a 5-5 tie with the Phillies.

“The hype,” one National League evaluator in attendance added, “is warranted.”

Severino, now a battle-scarred vet of 28, has been through plenty since that day.

He showed much of that electric stuff after making his big-league debut in August 2015. After battling injuries during a down 2016, he earned back-to-back All-Star bids in 2017 and ’18. But he experienced shoulder issues just after signing a four-year, $40 million extension in February 2019 and pitched only three games that season. The following February, Severino underwent Tommy John surgery, wiping out all of his 2020 and almost all of his 2021.

Severino has appeared in seven big-league games (three starts) since signing that extension. He would have come back sooner than his return in September 2021, but he suffered two setbacks – a groin injury in June and   shoulder tightness in August.

So those are among the many reasons you won’t hear any concern expressed by the Yankees over the righthander’s slow start to spring training. The numbers aren’t great through two starts – a 17.18 ERA after he allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings of a 6-5 loss to the Phillies on Friday at BayCare Ballpark – but his arm looks healthy, as evidenced by the mid-to-high-90s fastball he displayed in both outings.

“Labored with his rhythm and timing in his delivery and his arm slot looked different on his fastball and breaking ball,” one AL scout said. “But velocity was good.”

Added an NL talent evaluator: “Looks like a guy shaking off rust [from not pitching a lot] the last three years. Velocity is where you’d want it to be. Haven’t seen anything [concerning].”

Neither has Aaron Boone.

“I think he's in a good spot. His stuff has been really good,” Boone said before Friday’s game.  “We've been really encouraged by what we've seen so far.”

Despite the command issues, Severino also has been encouraged.

“I had some problems from the stretch,” he said Friday. “I feel from the windup I was really good and then I got to the stretch and I couldn’t get into a rhythm. I was throwing a lot of balls, couldn’t command my fastball . . . [but] every time I go out there and I can play catch tomorrow, that’s progress. I feel happy every time I throw and I’m healthy. That’s a step forward for me.”  

Catcher Kyle Higashioka, who caught Severino a bit last September after the pitcher’s return from the injured list, said he was “considerably nastier than the last time” he caught him.

“Once he gets a better feel for the zone, he’s going to get rolling,” Higashioka said. “I have all the confidence he’ll be right where he needs to be for [the regular season]. The stuff looks really good, and now it’s about dialing into the zone.”

For the second straight start, Severino featured a fastball in the mid-90s that routinely touched 97 mph. He clearly is motivated to recapture the form that made him a two-time All-Star, but Boone said overthrowing, which can be a problem for pitchers coming back from injury trying to show they’re healthy, isn’t a concern.

“That's who he is. That's why he's Luis Severino, because his stuff is special,” Boone said. “Physically he's in a good spot throwing the ball. The conversation we'll have as the season unfolds is, where's he at? Do we have to be careful in certain spots? Those will be the kind of ongoing things that we'll try and evaluate in a smart way.”

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.