Severino ready to start MiLB rehab assignment
TAMPA, FLA.>> Yankees righthander Luis Severino feels ready to start aminor league rehab assignment following his second simulated game.
Severino, coming back froma latmuscle injury, said he felt good after throwing 35 pitches over two innings against minor leaguers on Tuesday. The 25-year-old also took part in a simulated game last Thursday and is lined up to start aminor league game Sunday.
Severino, 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts last season, was hurt while throwing in the bullpen before his first scheduled spring training appearance and has not pitched this season.
Reliever Dellin Betances (lat muscle) and lefthander Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery) are working out with Severino at team’s complex in Tampa, Florida. All three could rejoin theAL East-leading Yankees in September.
Betances is set to face hittersWednesday for the second time after a 20-pitch batting practice session last Saturday.
Montgomery is expected to make his second rehab start later thisweek. The lefty went two perfect innings Sunday for Class-A Tampa.
Also, reliever Trevor Rosenthal, signed to a minor league deal last week, threw 25 pitches in a simulated game.
Tribe’sRamirez not ruled out for postseason
CLEVELAND>> José Ramírez’s regular season is over. The postseason remains in play — if the Indians canmake it without him.
Cleveland’s hard-hitting third baseman is expected to need five to seven weeks to recover after undergoing hand surgeryMonday in New York. Ramírez, whose hot bat the past two months helped get the Indians back into playoff contention, fractured the hamate bone in his right hand while taking a hard swing during the first inning of Saturday’s game against Kansas City.
The team estimates he could be back as early as Oct. 1, when the AL playoffs open.
But the loss of Ramírez will make it tough to reach October for the Indians, who trail first-placeMinnesota by 3½ games in the AL Central but have a one-half game lead in the wild-card race with 31 games remaining.
The 26-year-old Ramírez is one of the team’s most indispensable players, providing power to their lineup while playing Gold Glovecaliber defense at third.