Luis Severino throws four scoreless innings vs. Braves
TAMPA, Fla. — Luis Severino just had to be himself. After missing most of the last three years with injuries, he thought he had to throw harder to prove he was still an elite starter. So he tried to ramp everything up and ended up being slowed down by soreness.
Saturday, Severino stayed within himself and that was all he and the Yankees needed.
“Every time they give me the ball, that’s what I tried to do, throw hard,” Severino said after throwing four scoreless innings against the Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “And I noticed the last couple of days I don’t need to throw 100, 99 or 98 miles an hour,” Severino said. “If I can control the zone and go 94, 95 to 97, for five [or] six innings and get people out, that’ll be more safe for me.
“I am saving my arm, not trying to overthrow.”
That had also Severino looking more like the pitcher that the Yankees had in 2018 before his journey through injuries began. Severino allowed one hit, struck out three in the Yankees’ 10-0 win over the defending World Series champions. He threw 57 pitches with his fastball touching 98 and averaging just over 96 mph.
Severino had a scare when he got hit hard in his last outing and then woke up with what he described as “soreness” and “tightness” in his “whole arm” the next morning. The Yankees pushed back his routine and Severino had time to realize that this is part of the routine of a healthy pitcher.
“I haven’t pitched for such a long time that every time I feel something I’m worried because I don’t know what’s gonna be next,” Severino said. “So many injuries with my shoulder, my elbow, groin and everything. If I feel something I go to the trainer right away to try to fix it, quick.
“But working out tomorrow and even right now feels very comfortable.”
That comes from Severino staying within himself.
“I think just the mindset of not needing to try and throw 100 like it’ll be there I think it just felt like he didn’t have to effort his way through those innings as much and he just kind of focused on executing pitches and staying in the delivery and the velo was still there,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said. “So I think it’s just a comfort for him knowing that he doesn’t have to stand on every pitch.”
This will have him going into the regular season with a sense of comfort. The Yankees feel more confident too.
“I think we want to see him come back tomorrow and just see what that recovery process looks like, but I think that definitely what we had been seeing going into the games is now starting to translate into the games, all his side work and he’s building on it,” Blake said. “He’s an accomplished pitcher ... we know what Severino looks like. So it’s just a matter of him continuing to own that and repeat it, but definitely feel a lot better.”
Severino is penciled in to start the second game of the season against the Red Sox in the Bronx. The Yankees had lefty Nestor Cortes, who is their fifth starter, piggy-backing off Severino’s start Saturday. With an off day in that first week, the Yankees could use Cortes in the same role next Saturday to give them depth — or he was lined up to start in the worst case scenario that Severino did not come out ready for the season.
Happy with PitchCom: The Yankees are on board. After finally breaking out the PitchCom system, which transmits encrypted signs electronically from catcher to pitcher, they are true believers.
“I loved it,” left-hander Nestor Cortes said after using it for two innings in the Yankees’ 10-0 win over the Braves. “For a guy like me who has a bunch of pitches, I didn’t have to go through a whole bunch of signs. I could catch the ball, hear the call and then go. I loved it.”
MLB gave the sets, which have a wrist band with nine programmable buttons for the catchers and a speaker that slides into the pitcher’s hat, to all the teams to try out this spring. The Yankees initially tested it out Saturday in a live batting practice.