Luis Severino Injury Update: Under-fire Yankees ace heads to 15-day IL, season potentially over

On September 9, the New York Yankees announced that pitcher Luis Severino would be heading to the IL. The injury comes as the latest in a revolving door of Yankees pitching injuries this season.

During the fifth inning of the Yankees' game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, the Dominican right-hander could clearly be seen holding his left side. The undisclosed ailment is just the most recent in a long history for Severino.

"Luis Severino just left tonight’s game with an injury." - Eyes on Yanks

After the game, Severino claimed that the sharp pain was akin to being shot. After he became clearly incapacitated, the New York Yankees announced on Saturday that Severino would be heading to the 15-day IL. With just more than twenty games left in the season, it is entirely possible that Severino's season is over.

Since signing with the Yankees as a free agent in 2011, Luis Severino has made a couple of All-Star teams. In 2018, he finished third in AL Cy Young voting after putting up a 2.98 ERA alongside a record of 14-6 in 31 starts. However, ever since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, Severino has struggled to recapture his former success.

The Yankees' pitching staff has been neutered by injury this season. Carlos Rodon, a 2022 Cy Young contender who was acquired from the San Francisco Giants, missed the first two months of the season. Meanwhile, Frankie Montas has yet to appear this year, and 2022 All-Star Nestor Cortes has made only 12 starts because of his own battles with injury.

"An emotional Luis Severino describes the pain he felt on the mound: "I feel like somebody shot me."" - YES Network

With a record of 70-71, the Yankees are now 19.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who lead the AL East. Despite winning 99 games last season, it appears as though the Bronx Bombers are in line for their first last-place divisional finish since the 1990 season.

Luis Severino needs some time to get back to the basics

Although Luis Severino has proven himself to be a brilliant pitcher in the past, the 29-year old has been a shell of his former self this year. Currently nursing a 6.65 ERA, Severino even referred to himself as "the worst pitcher in baseball" earlier this season. Now that the book appears to be finally closed on Severino's 2023 season, he can hopefully spend his offseason recovering, and focusing on improving to where he needs to be.