Inside The Pinstripes

Luis Severino Nearing Return to Tommy John Rehab Assignment After Groin Injury

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino is throwing bullpens again, nearing his return to his Tommy John rehab assignment after his groin injury

Max Goodman

Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — Luis Severino's return to his Tommy John rehab assignment is starting to come into focus.

The right-hander threw a bullpen at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, the first time he's thrown off a mound since injuring his groin last month while pitching for High-A Hudson Valley. 

Severino sustained a Grade 2 groin strain in that outing, a setback that's added a lengthy delay to the starter's comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday afternoon that Severino's latest bullpen went well and that he'll have another one scheduled in the next few days. 

"He won't go on the trip with us," Boone said, referencing New York's West Coast road trip. "So I think we'll actually travel to maybe like [Double-A] Somerset to throw his next bullpen and then start to think about hitters or when we want to get them into a game and start up his rehab again."

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Since the groin injury, Severino has been working on his mobility, stretching out on the outfield grass practically every day at Yankee Stadium. He's been throwing flat grounds as well, keeping his arm in shape, but returning to in-game situations big step.

Severino had only pitched in two rehab starts prior to the setback, throwing a total of 69 pitches over 4.1 innings. He'll still need to make a few more rehab appearances before rejoining the rotation, but getting back on the mound is undoubtedly a huge leap in that direction.

As for Severino's timeline, Boone said he wasn't exactly sure how many more times the right-hander will throw before his next in-game appearance. 

"It just depends," he explained. "If we go a couple more bullpens, do we go bullpen and then live? We'll see how that that shakes out."

New York is going to need all the help they can get as the second half of the season begins and the gap between them and first place in the division continues to grow. A healthy Severino pitching every fifth day would be almost like a Trade Deadline acquisition, something we may not see from a club treading water this far away from contention.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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