Yankees have struggled mightily this second half of the season with an 11-20 record since the All-Star break and 6-14 in August through Monday's game. Ironically, their struggles began right around when their second starter, Luis Severino headed to the IL. The Yankee pitcher left his July 13th start with a low-grade right lat strain and has been in rehab ever since. But Sevy says he is ready to be back yet he is still on the IL. This is a systemic problem with this team. Aaron Boone babies his players thereby placing too much pressure on other players to fill the void. Why is Severino on the 60-day IL when he feels like he should be on the mound? Let's unpack it.
“I am 100 percent right now,’’ Severino said after throwing a 24-pitch live batting practice at the Stadium prior to Tuesday’s game against the Mets," reported The New York Post. Severino is still "serving a 60-sentence" in the IL which will keep him out of the rotation until mid-September. The Yankee starter remains upset and is anxious to get back on the mound. “I’m not OK with it,’’ Severino said. “I threw 95, 97 [mph] and it’s not even a thought in my mind. The 60-[day IL] wasn’t necessary. I know I could have been back by now.”
Historically, well since the Boone years and later Girardi days, the Yankees have be extra cautious with their players, often giving them extra days off, placing them on the IL for extended amounts of time and giving them rest days when they are seemingly on a hot streak.
“I’m just being cautious,” Boone told reporters before batting practice back in July. “I’m trying to strike a balance between the urgency of the situation against playing the long game,” reported NJ.com. This was the Cincinnati Series, where the Yankees lost two out of three to a low performing club. But they were up 14.5 games in the AL East and had no worry in the world. Fast forward to 6 weeks later and the Yankees cut that lead in half. They have not been able to string together a prolonged run like they did in the first half of the season. Besides seeing their bats go quiet, pitching, particularly starting pitching just hasn't had the length it used to- going from second-best in the AL to 13th.
With Jordan Montgomery lighting it up in St. Louis, the Yankees pitching staff has been fractured. "Severino’s slip in production and injury have played a role, as has significant falloffs from Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon, who each have an ERA of over 4.00 in the second half. German hasn’t been as good as Severino was early on, and Tuesday night’s starter, Frankie Montas, has been a disappointment since arriving from Oakland," reported The Post.
So why is Severino still on the IL? Because he was placed on the 60-day IL which provides no mercy to the injured player. According to MLB rules, players placed on the 60-day injured must remain on it for a minimum of 60 days and are temporarily removed from a club's 40-man roster, which often makes the list a last resort for clubs. So why did they do this to Sevy? I just don't understand the leadership of this club. And the more I see them in action, the less I like what I see.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
And it seems bringing up Schmidt was something that was I guess a no other choice move.
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