Yankees News: Luis Severino Shut Down for 6 Weeks After Suffering Lat Injury

New York Yankees ace Luis Severino continues to be plagued by injuries this season. 

Per The Athletic's Lindsey Adler, Severino will be shut down for six weeks with a Grade 2 lat strain, which is separate from the shoulder injury that's held him out since spring training. 

Severino opened 2019 on the injury list, with manager Aaron Boone announcing Monday his star pitcher was undergoing more tests. 

The uncertainty around Severino's return to the mound comes on the heels of a difficult ending to 2018. The 25-year-old posted a 5.57 ERA with 76 hits and nine home runs allowed in 63 innings after the All-Star break. 

New York's pitching staff opened this season with a lot of injuries to navigate. CC Sabathia, Jordan Montgomery and Dellin Betances all started 2019 on the injury list with Severino.

The Yankees have a solid trio at the top of their rotation with Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ. It's a patchwork group behind them with Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga getting first crack at filling in. 

A deep lineup capable of scoring runs in bunches will allow the Yankees to navigate any shortcomings in their rotation, but Severino is the ace they need to challenge for a World Series title.