Aaron Boone reveals depressing backup plan after Luis Severino injury

Luis Severino is the latest New York Yankees starting pitcher to suffer an injury, and his replacement won’t exactly provide the fanbase much confidence.

Prior to the start of spring training, the New York Yankees added Carlos Rodon to bolster to the top of the rotation with Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. But this spring, the rotation has been bitten by the injury bug.

Frankie Montas is out for a significant portion, if not the entirety, of the 2023 season due to shoulder surgery. Rodon suffered a mild left forearm strain and won’t be ready for the start of the season. Then, on Saturday, the Yankees revealed some more bad news for their rotation.

Manager Aaron Boone announced that Luis Severino is currently on the shelf due to a low grad right lat strain and could miss the start of the season. Severino suffered a right lat strain last season, and was sidelined for two months.

Aaron Boone reveals likely Luis Severino replacement to start season

Boone was asked who would be the Yankees’ fifth starter if he were to go that route, and he responded with the team’s 27th ranked prospect, Jhony Brito.

Brito has been in the Yankees minor league system since 2016. Last season, he split time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, where he recorded a 2.96 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, 91 strikeouts and 35 walks in 112.2 innings (26 games, 23 starts).

Through three spring training games (one start), Brito recorded a 3.52 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

The Yankees depth at starting pitching has taken a hit. They traded away Jordan Montgomery,  who was a reliable option in the rotation, to the St. Louis Cardinals. Although they did get outfielder Harrison Bader in return, who shined late in the 2022 season and in the postseason, Montgomery’s absence looms large,

Not to mention that the Yankees missed out on top pitching options in the past year on the trade block like Luis Castillo, who had been nothing short of spectacular for the Seattle Mariners. Meanwhile Pablo Lopez, who the Yankees were trying to acquire at the deadline, was dealt to the Minnesota Twins this offseason. Oh, and then there’s the fact that while they did acquire Montas, he had been dealing with shoulder issues prior to the trade last season, and they carried over when heading to the Bronx.

Cole will be the team’s Opening Day starter on March 30 against the San Francisco Giants. In their second game of the season, Clarke Schmidt, who had spent time in the bullpen last year, would likely start.

Brito has never made it to the majors in his career. Now, he is on pace to be the team’s fifth starter in the rotation.