Yankees' Luis Severino Likely to Start Season on IL With 'Low-Grade' Lat Injury

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino will likely start the season on the injured list after suffering a low-grade right lat strain, manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Saturday.

The Yanks scratched Severino from his final spring training start, and he will miss his first regular-season start at minimum.

Severino missed time last season with a lat injury in his right (throwing) shoulder, missing more than six weeks. He also dealt with rotator cuff inflammation during spring training.

The 29-year-old went 7-3 in 2022 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 112 strikeouts in 102 innings across 19 starts. It was his first season as a full-time starter since 2018, as injuries have stymied him over the last several years.

Severino missed the entire 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery and also missed most of the 2021 campaign while recovering from the ailment. He served as a reliever when he did return in 2021, pitching just six innings.

Severino is the latest injury to a Yankees staff that has taken numerous hits this offseason. Most notably, left-hander Carlos Rodón, who is expected to be the Yankees' No. 2 starter when healthy, will start the season on the IL with a left forearm muscle strain.

Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Domingo Germán will make up the top four in the Yankees' rotation for now. Schmidt is in line to start the Yankees' second game, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

New York opens the season Thursday at home against the San Francisco Giants.