Sevy shut down again
The Yankees sent the results of Luis Severino’s shoulder MRI to Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion. Aaron Boone said he would not be comfortable speculating on Severino’s prognosis, but the right-hander is shut down from throwing for a week.
“He won’t throw this week and let’s wait and get all the opinions,” Boone said.
When asked if Severino was in jeopardy of losing a second season, Boone was at a loss.
“I’m not ready to go there at all yet,” he said.
Severino is rehabbing from March 2020 Tommy John surgery, which was interrupted when he suffered a groin injury. He was warming up for his second rehab start after the groin injury when he told the pitching coordinator the shoulder didn’t feel “right.”
Severino was 42-26 with a 3.46
ERA over parts of five seasons in the big leagues before he signed a fouryear, $40 million extension during 2019 spring training. He has pitched just 20.1 innings since then because of injuries, dealing with right rotator cuff issues and then suffering a grade 2 strain, or partial tear, in the lat muscle. He made two starts in the playoffs and during the second, in the American League Championship Series against the Astros, he felt discomfort in his forearm. In the spring of 2020, he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which required Tommy John surgery.
KLUBER COMING ALONG
Corey Kluber allowed three earned runs on two hits in his second minor-league rehab game on Tuesday. The right-hander walked three and struck out four. He gave up a home run to Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs and hit a batter.
role. Rojas said that possibility has not yet been communicated to the pitcher, and the team for now is squarely focused on Syndergaard returning healthy. Rojas was noncommittal as to whether Syndergaard will be on a regular fiveday schedule following his encouraging session on Tuesday.
As for Lindor, the Mets’ $341 million shortstop has been vocal about wanting to avoid a rehab assignment and the team has not yet decided one way or the other. Lindor faced live pitching on Tuesday for the first time he went on the IL four weeks ago. Rojas’ assessment of Lindor’s progress would seem to indicate that the shortstop is on his way to skipping a trip to the minor leagues.
“We simulated a lot of things today,” Rojas said. “The pitches that he saw and the swings that he took in the live BP that we had for him – the simulated game because he did defense, he ran the bases, he did everything – it’s even more than going through a rehab assignment.”
WHAT ABOUT GUILLORME?
Guillorme is batting his second injury of the season, following the oblique strain he sustained earlier in the year. Since he’s currently dealing with a hamstring strain, the Mets think it will be best for Guillorme to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the team.
“Testing that in actual games is different,” Rojas said. “But he looked really good. He ran today close to 100% and he felt really good. Then he hit, took grounders, threw from second base.”
Taking grounders is still one of Guillorme’s remaining limitations as he rehabs his hamstring. The super-utility infielder landed on the IL on August 1.
BAEZ IMPROVING
Javier Baez (back spasms) took grounders at second base on Tuesday, following up on his infield work on Monday at Oracle Park. Rojas said he “didn’t expect him to be moving like he did,” and the skipper was encouraged by Baez’s progress.
Even so, a rehab assignment is in Baez’s future, Rojas said. The Mets expected his stay on the IL to be the minimum 10 days, but it’s possible his trip to the minors may push that timeline back a bit. The shortstop is eligible to come off the IL on Sunday.