Aaron Boone: Luis Severino Can Still Be Explosive This Season

Related

The Yankees have one of the best records in baseball despite having suffered an absurd amount of injuries.

New York has been beset by injuries since before the 2019 season began. Key players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino have missed large periods of time, and there have been plenty of minor, niggling ailments as well. 

Severino is yet to pitch this year after he was hurt in spring training and suffered setbacks, but Yankee manager Aaron Boone thinks he can still be explosive this season. On Thursday evening, Boone joined Mike Francesa on WFAN and provided an update on Severino’s status.

“I think it’s very reasonable to think that he can be effective and explosive,” said Boone. “How much can we build him up, that will be the question. He’s doing well. Hopefully if everything continues to progress as it has, he’ll be on the mound probably in the next week or two, and then it starts to move from there. And we’ll start to have those conversations about what makes the most sense in bringing him back.”

Severino was the team’s ace last season. He was 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, and he also struck out 220 batters. His performances in 2018 earned him a new four-year, $40 million contract in February, but he has been yet to play a real game since signing that new deal.

There has been speculation that the Yankees could be in the market for another starter at the trade deadline. If Severino is able to come back and contribute, then the Yankees won't need to add another starter, but the trade deadline closes in six days and Severino likely won't be able to return for another couple weeks.  

USA TODAY Images

Up next for the Yankees is a trip to Boston to face their rivals. The Red Sox are eight games back in the AL East and two games back for the wild-card, but Boone refused to count his team’s old nemesis out of the race for the postseason.

“We know what they’re capable of. Especially after you consider how they started the season, they’ve put themselves in a position to make a run at this thing. And we certainly know, when they’re playing well, what they’re capable of.”