ANAHEIM — Whether it was rehabbing a lat damage or withstanding a number of shellings on the mound, the primary half of the 2023 season was not variety to Luis Severino. The pitcher — and the Yankees — are praying that the second half brings a contemporary begin and higher outcomes.
Severino, who will begin Monday evening towards the Angels in Anaheim, owns a 7.78 ERA over 9 begins and 42.2 innings this yr. And whereas the previous Cy Young finalist pitched nicely in his first two begins and on June 24, he’s allowed a whopping 53 hits, 33 earned runs and 10 residence runs over his final seven begins. That stretch contains 31.1 innings, and Severino has a 9.48 ERA over that span.
Severino most not too long ago surrendered seven earned runs over 2.2 innings towards the Orioles on July 6. Afterward, he mentioned, “I’m not doing my job right now.” He’s shared comparable sentiments after different poor performances this season.
Severino additionally mentioned that he needed to make use of a number of the All-Star break to get his thoughts off baseball. But the righty visited Yankee Stadium final Wednesday and Thursday to get work in, in line with pitching coach Matt Blake.
“We basically just tried to dial in the delivery a little bit,” Blake informed the Daily News. “I really feel like generally he will get perhaps just a little bit rotational and fast with the entrance aspect, and that type of impacts a few of his command and a number of the sharpness of his secondary [pitches], so simply type of getting him to manage his traces just a little bit higher, keep in his again leg just a little higher. That was type of like the primary piece of it, and that’s gonna take just a little little bit of time to iron out.
“It’s always a work in progress when you’re talking about the delivery. There are some things that are smaller adjustments than others. I feel like this is something he can take into the game right away. Now, whether he repeats it for 100 pitches, that’s always [something] you’ll look to see when the game starts and the game speed picks up. But it’s something that he’s done in the past, and we’re just trying to get him back to staying sideways a little longer.”
Blake added that the form of Severino’s breaking ball was one other focus throughout bullpen reps over the break, in addition to the pitcher’s deception. Blake additionally desires to see Severino be extra aggressive along with his fastball whereas avoiding the guts of the plate.
“It’s a lot of little things that we’re just trying to chip away at,” Blake mentioned.
Aaron Boone, in the meantime, is hoping that the break helped Severino. The supervisor has insisted that the hurler is wholesome, and Boone has talked up Severino’s stuff, even when the outcomes have been disappointing.
Boone additionally mentioned that the Yankees haven’t thought of an try to ship Severino to the minors to determine issues out. “That’s not on the table for us right now,” Boone mentioned when requested concerning the Blue Jays not too long ago doing precisely that with Alek Manoah.
“It’s Luis Severino,” Boone mentioned. “So it’s not like it’s, ‘Where’s the power? Where’s the stuff?’ It’s about tightening it up, adding some deception to him, and then making some small adjustments that hopefully allow him to be consistent in his execution. Because that’s what it comes down to.”
Boone additionally mentioned that Severino has remained “confident” all through this rut. Blake agreed, saying that Severino is in “a good space there mentally” as he searches for tactics to appropriate course.
“Obviously, he’s looking for some answers,” Blake continued. “I think he’s obviously questioning things about what he’s been doing and what he needs to do differently. The nice thing with a guy like this is he has a track record of success that we can lean on and say, ‘OK, what have you done when it’s going well, and what are you currently doing? And let’s try and just check these boxes as we go and try and eliminate as many of the differences as possible.’”
Severino is in want of a fast turnaround. An impending free agent, he hasn’t made a robust case to potential suitors this yr. And if he continues pitching the way in which that he has, he may very well be compelled out of the Yankees’ rotation as soon as Nestor Cortes is activated within the coming weeks.
For now, nevertheless, Blake is proud of the work Severino has put in. He will get an opportunity to place his changes to make use of for the primary time in Anaheim, the place he’ll look to begin his second half on a wanted excessive be aware.
“It’s never fun when you’re going through a prolonged struggle like this,” Blake mentioned, “but we always say if he’s healthy and the work is good, we should be able to get better results than we’re currently getting. I feel like those are things we can say are positive.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com