LAKELAND, Fla. — Luis Severino built his pitch count up to 54 on Friday and continued to be encouraged by how he feels physically. 

But the Yankees right-hander still has at least one thing to clean up, based on what hitters’ swings have told him so far this spring. 

“That my slider sucks, that’s what they’re telling me right now,” Severino said with a chuckle after throwing four innings in a 4-3 win over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. “I need to work more on my slider. It’s not the movement, it’s just location actually.” 

Severino gave up two home runs to the Tigers and now has allowed five in 8 ²/₃ innings this spring.

One of the homers Friday was on a slider to Eric Haase, who also took him deep on a slider on Feb. 27. 

“For me, that’s the pitch that takes longer to get ready,” Severino said. “I just need to work on location more. But everything else was really good.” 

Manager Aaron Boone agreed with that assessment. 

“His slider’s kind of the last thing to sharpen up because his stuff’s there,” Boone said. “It looks good. Today was another good outing, good step for him. Coming out real easy, he’s staying in his delivery, he’s got a really good feel of his changeup already. So I’m encouraged where he’s at.” 

The Yankees need Severino to stay healthy, especially after fellow starters Carlos Rodon (mild forearm muscle strain) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) have been lost to injuries already.

The last time Severino had a fully healthy season was 2018. 

“I feel happy where I am right now,” Severino said. “Even the next day, sometimes I pitch and it feels like I threw a bullpen, I’m not even sore. So that’s a great sign when I wake up the next day and I don’t feel horrible.” 

Lou Trivino, who will miss the start of the season with what general manager Brian Cashman called a “mild elbow ligament sprain,” said the issue arose after he made his Grapefruit League debut with a scoreless inning against the Pirates last week. 

“I just felt a little tighter than usual,” Trivino said. “So just trying to be a little extra cautious.” 

Cashman said he was hopeful to get Trivino — who will go on the injured list with an arm-related problem for the first time in his career — back by May. 

“Honestly, I feel like I could throw right now,” Trivino said. “But I’m the one who just constantly throws and throws and throws. But I feel good. We’re progressing pretty quickly, so I feel good.” 

Uber-utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera started his first game at shortstop this spring and went 1-for-3 with a hustle double.