Yankees pitching coach: Luis Severino's problem isn't what you think

by Felix Pantaleón

Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild explains why they don’t think struggling ace Luis Severino is tired and needs to skip his next start.

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NEW YORK — Though Luis Severino has been bad his last six starts, Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild doesn’t think skipping the ace’s next appearance is the right move, he said Tuesday.

Skipping starts in August typically happens when a team is worried a pitcher might be hurt, Rothschild said. The Yankees think Severino is fine physically, even though his four-inning, four-run dud in Monday’s 8-5 loss to the Mets meant that he’s now 1-4 with a 7.84 ERA in his last six starts.

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Rothschild added that he doesn’t believe fatigue is Severino’s problem, either, though the 23-year-old has thrown more innings at this point of the season than ever before. Rothschild pointed to the 12-day break the Yankees gave him at the All-Star break.

Rather, the pitching coach said, Severino’s main problem has been missing with his fastball.

Still, Rothschild said, though the Yankees want Severino to make his next scheduled start on regular rest, they may look for ways to push him back a day thanks to upcoming off days in the schedule.

Manager Aaron Boone agreed.

“Still the same, he’s scheduled to go Saturday, came in today feeling good,” Boone said. “Obviously, with the off days coming with the next road trip there, there’s probably a chance to push him back potentially to give him a little more rest in between the next two starts. But as of now, we’re staying on course with him. And we just need to work the best we can to work through this rough patch. I think it closer than what the results have been.”

Severino is 15-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 25 starts. He’s expected to be the Yankees’ Wild Card starter — provided they reach the elimination playoff game. Their hopes of winning the American League East are all but over with the juggernaut Red Sox far ahead of them.

The Yankees could also use that schedule manipulation to set the rotation so that Severino would be on track to start the Wild Card on Oct. 3.

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