ATLANTA — When the Yankees announced that Luis Severino would start against the Braves’ juggernaut lineup on Tuesday, many had a reasonable reaction.
Why?
Severino has been a disaster this season, which he’s called “the worst year of my life in baseball.” He’s also described himself as “the worst pitcher in the game.” With an 8.06 ERA entering Tuesday’s contest, he’s not far off.
But the Yankees continue to send Severino to the mound each turn through the rotation. While he followed an opener his last time out on Aug. 9 — which predictably made no difference — the Yankees have, in some shape or form, stuck with the embattled starter.
The truth is, they no longer have much of a choice.
The Yankees’ rotation hasn’t been healthy all season, making Severino a cat with nine lives. The team is currently without Nestor Cortes, who may not return from a rotator cuff strain, and Carlos Rodón, who is expected to return from a hamstring injury sometime next week. Then there’s Domingo Germán, who is receiving treatment for alcohol abuse.
With those three out and the Yankees failing to add a starter at the trade deadline, Severino has remained a fixture. Starters Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez, meanwhile, are on the major league roster, though they followed openers in Miami.
“We have a number of guys expected to be in our rotation that aren’t right now,” said Aaron Boone, whose options are so thin that he’s considering stretching out reliever Michael King.
The only other starters on the 40-man roster are Yoendrys Gómez, Luis Gil and Frankie Montas. Gómez has not pitched above Double-A, while Gil and Montas are on the 60-day injured list and not expected to impact the Yankees this year.
That begs the question: who is next in line if the Yankees need another starting pitcher at some point?
“I think [Clayton] Beeter would be in the conversation. I think Mitch Spence would be in the conversation,” pitching coach Matt Blake told the Daily News. “Both those guys have been [at Triple-A] for a decent amount of time now. Those are probably the two names that stand out the most. Obviously, Will Warren’s on the radar. I would think they’d probably give some guys a shot that have been in Triple-A most of the year.”
Beeter, acquired from the Dodgers in the Joey Gallo trade, is considered the Yankees’ 16th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, but he has a 6.25 ERA in seven games for the RailRiders. Warren, the Yankees’ 10th-best prospect, has a 5.24 ERA over 13 Triple-A starts.
Spence, who is not among the Yankees’ top 30 prospects, has the best ERA of the names Blake mentioned, as he’s recorded a 4.86 mark through 22 starts.
No member of the trio has been particularly impressive this season, at least not at Triple-A.
“That’s the hard part with it,” Blake acknowledged. “Obviously, you want guys to try and finish off their development as much as possible in Triple-A, but then there’s needs at the major league level. So you’re always kind of balancing.”
Rodón’s impending return could alleviate the Yankees’ depth concerns and kick Severino, Brito or Vásquez out of the rotation. But Rodón has also been bad, and injuries and inconsistency have plagued the unit for months.
Odds are the Yankees will need another body at some point, but 40-man roster logistics and unimpressive numbers have left them with no obvious choice.
Even Brito and Vásquez — who have done a commendable job when compared to minimal expectations — are in the majors ahead of schedule, highlighting yet another problem with the Yankees’ roster construction and player development.
“It’s probably not ideal to have Brito and Vásquez both here trying to take the turn every time,” Blake admitted, “but that’s where we’re at.”
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