Opening day is still several days away, but 60% of the New York Yankees' starting rotation won't be on the roster.
Luis Severino, whose injury history is lengthy, suffered the third strained lat injury of his career and is expected to begin the season on the injured list.
The 29-year-old missed roughly two months with a low-grade lat strain last season, so the Yanks should have an idea of a timetable for his return.
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Severino is the third Yankee starting pitcher to hit the shelf this spring.
Frankie Montas, who the Yanks acquired at last year's trade deadline, may miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Their $162 million lefty Carlos Rodon also suffered a forearm strain earlier this spring. He's throwing again but will likely miss all of April.
It's the fifth consecutive season Severino will be on the Injured List. The right-hander made just four starts in 2019 with rotator cuff inflammation and a grade 2 lat strain, and he missed all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
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While ramping up from his elbow operation in 2021, he suffered a groin injury that halted his return until September. So, from the start of 2019 through the 2021 season, including the postseason, he pitched in just 27.2 innings.
Severino had a 3.18 ERA last year in 19 starts.
In addition to All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes, the Yankees' rotation will likely include Domingo German and reliever Clarke Schmidt with the fifth starter's job up for grabs until Rodon and Severino return.
New York won 99 games last year but was swept by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros, the third time in five years the Astros eliminated the Yanks in the ALCS.
