Yankees News: SP Luis Severino out 6 More Weeks with Lat, Shoulder Injuries

Starting pitcher Luis Severino still isn't close to returning to the mound of the American League East-leading New York Yankees.

According to Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday that Severino needs "six or more weeks" before he'll be ready to return to game action.

Severino has spent the entire 2019 season on the injured list thus far due to lat and shoulder injuries.

If and when Severino pitches for the Yankees this season, there are major question marks regarding how he will be deployed.

Although he was New York's ace last season, Cashman said Friday that he may be limited to 75 pitches as a starter this season or perhaps even used out of the bullpen.

The 25-year-old is a two-time All-Star who went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 220 strikeouts in 191.1 innings pitched last season.

With Severino on the shelf, the Yanks have primarily leaned on Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Domingo German, J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia as their starting rotation. While most of them have missed time with injuries this season, they are all currently healthy.

While all five of New York's starters have a record of .500 or better, their numbers leave something to be desired. German leads the starters with a 3.67 ERA, and Tanaka is next with a 3.86 ERA, but the other three are all over 4.00.

New York is 12th in Major League Baseball with a 4.22 starters' ERA. Its bullpen ERA of 4.03 isn't much better and ranks ninth, but with dominant arms like Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino and Zack Britton out of the pen, the Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball.

The Yankees also have a high-scoring lineup, as they are third in runs scored (503) and fourth in home runs (149).

Those factors have mitigated the absence of Severino thus far, but there is no question that the Yankees need an ace come playoff time. If Severino can't return in time to be that guy, then a trade may be necessary.