New York Yankees ace Luis Severino is coming back.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported on Thursday that the right-hander will make his 2019 debut on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Severino had been out since spring training because of a lat and rotator cuff injury.
The 25-year-old appeared for the team’s double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, on Wednesday night where he showed Yankees brass that he was ready to make the jump to the majors.
In 3.2 innings, he allowed one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts with a fastball that touched 98 miles-per-hour.
Severino was the undisputed No. 1 arm for the Yankees last season, going 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA that saw him finish in the top-10 of the American League Cy Young Award voting despite a difficult second half of the season.
While getting that caliber of arm back in the starting rotation is a huge pick-up for the Yankees, the timing of Severino’s return could limit his availability in the final stretch of the season.
It would be a large ask of the Yankees to throw Severino right to the top of the pitching staff and prepare for the postseason in the equivalent of three rounds through the rotation.
Severino will undoubtedly be an important factor throughout the rest of 2019. However, he could very well perform under an innings limit that ensures his health and puts the team’s strength — their bullpen — on the forefront.
The Yankees could also get left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, back in the fold sometime next week.
