Luis Severino threw off a mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, and manager Aaron Boone wasn’t shy in voicing his encouragement on how he thought the session went.
“He was really efficient the other day,” Boone said on a Zoom call with reporters Thursday morning. “Really throwing it exactly where he wanted it. It was coming out hot, we almost said ‘Hey, back off a little bit, it’s almost coming out a little too well,’ but he wasn’t working for it necessarily. I’m really encouraged about where he’s at to this point.”
Severino had the surgery just over a year ago, and is hoping to return to the mound for game action after the All-Star break, which would be a huge boost for the Yankees given his past of providing ace-like stuff in 2017 and 2018. Severino has battled injuries over the past two seasons and has made just three starts in that span, so it was an encouraging sign for Boone to see the 27-year-old on the bump again.
“It was a lot of fun for me to get over there on Tuesday morning to see that first one, just to see how he’s moving around,” Boone said. “There’s just a confidence that he’s exuding in his health. Just watching him play catch, the way his body moves, the kind of shape he’s in and the free and easy way he’s throwing.”
Severino’s bullpen session consisted of 20 pitches, all fastballs, and is expected to play catch on Thursday from up to 90 feet before returning to the mound for another bullpen either Friday or Saturday, per Boone. Severino is still on track for his initial recovery time, and Tuesday was a good start to keep the righty on schedule.
“It went really well,” Boone said. “He looked great.”
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