Yankees RHP Luis Severino successfully underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, the team announced.

Severino also had an existing bone chip in his right elbow removed during the procedure.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman announced on Tuesday that Severino would undergo Tommy John surgery, after complaining of soreness in the top of his right forearm.

Tyler Wade and Clint Frazier each hit home runs in the first inning, as the Yankees went on to beat the Rays, 7-1, on Thursday. >> Box score

5 things to know from Thursday's game...

1) J.A. Happ got the win after allowing one earned run on two hits in 3.0 IP. The veteran lefty struck out two batters, and continued to look strong after his three strikeout performance against the Blue Jays on Feb. 22.

Gerrit Cole had a 3.50 ERA and 1.21 WHIP while striking out 8.4 batters per 9 in five seasons with the Pirates.

Gerrit Cole had a 2.68 ERA and 0.96 WHIP while striking out 13.1 batters per 9 in two seasons with the Astros.

So what changed after he left Pittsburgh?

Cole's velocity with the Astros ticked up a bit and he changed the way he attacked hitters with his fastball. He also changed his release point. But whispers about how the Astros help their pitchers (specifically when it comes to using substances on the baseball to improve grip and spin rate) have dogged Cole and others who have had tons of success after arriving in Houston.

The Astros' electronic sign-stealing scandal rocked MLB right before the 2020 season, with the league's Jan. 13 investigative report revealing that Houston used a live-feed center-field camera in 2017 and at least part of '18.

As teams like the Mets and Yankees prepare for their return to the diamond in the spring, they naturally have a guard up with preventing sign stealing from runners on second base.

Breaking down examples on Wednesday's Baseball Night in New York, SNY's Anthony Recker and Todd Zeile explained to Doug Williams and Andy Martino how pitchers and catchers keep opposing teams guessing by mixing things up.

The Yankees are in win-now mode, but New York has accumulated a strong collection of prospects over recent years.

Ahead of the 2020 season, The Athletic's Keith Law went in-depth von the Yankees' prospects, ranking the top 20.

Below is a sampling of Law's rankings, from 1 through 20, including a closer look at the first five.

MLB is cracking down on use of foreign substances in 2020, reportedly moving forward with stricter enforcement on a rule that has long been understood among players as a gentlemen's agreement.

Senior vice president Chris Young has spent spring training at league-wide camps in Arizona and Florida to tell teams that the league will enforce the rule for the upcoming season, The Post's Joel Sherman reported Wednesday.

In simple terms, among other aspects, Rule 8.02 prohibits pitchers from doctoring the baseball with anything outside of the legal rosin bag. Article B notes that the offender shall be immediately ejected from the game and automatically suspended for 10 games.

Being one of the main pitchers that called out MLB's baseball last season, it makes sense that Masahiro Tanaka was asked about how it felt a year later. 

According to Newsday's David Lennon, Tanaka said that the ball felt just like it did last spring training following his first start on Wednesday, which is a good sign. However, there's a catch. 

Tanaka said that he noticed a difference in the baseballs once the regular season began. So, if MLB did change the ball once again after the complaints last season, we might not find out until Opening Day. 

Rainy weather in Tampa caused the game to be called in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the Yankees an 8-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. >> Box score

5 things to know from Wednesday's game...

1) Masahiro Tanaka got the start for the Yankees on Wednesday, and he pitched to mixed results. After a relatively clean first inning, the second frame was a different story for Tanaka. After striking out Yadiel Hernandez, Tanaka hit Carter Kieboom with a pitch, and then allowed a two-run home run to Raudy Read, putting the Nationals up 2-0. All in all, Tanaka allowed two earned runs on two hits, while also striking out a pair in two innings of work.

The injuries have started again for Yankees OF Giancarlo Stanton, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters the former MVP has a grade 1 calf strain.

Asked if Stanton will be ready for the start of the regular season, Boone admitted "he will be down a bit," per The Post's Joel Sherman.

Boone added that an MRI showed the strain after Stanton hurt the calf during and outfield workout on Tuesday, per The New York Times' James Wagner.

One month away from the regular season with the March 26 game against the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the Yankees' journey to an AL East repeat and New York's first AL pennant since 2009 is on the horizon.

As the days wind down to Opening Day, opening odds are out for both of the Yankees' pursuits, via BetOnline.ag.

The Yankees are favorites to win the division title and league overall, respectively listed at -500 and +150 in each category.

Miguel Andujar has been taking outfield reps in spring training, and manager Aaron Boone has said he will see some real game action there soon. 

That first shot comes Wednesday.

Facing off against the Nationals in Tampa, Andujar will be hitting sixth and playing left field for the Yankees to see exactly what he's got at the position. 

After a few days of uncertainty regarding Luis Severino's status, the Yankees got their answer on Tuesday, as the club announced that the right-hander will have Tommy John Surgery on Thursday after feeling discomfort throwing change-ups in Tampa at spring training. 

So now that the Bombers know for sure that Severino will miss the 2020 season, combined with the fact that James Paxton will miss extended time due to back surgery, where does the team go from here?

GM Brian Cashman told reporters on Tuesday that he doesn't expect any immediate "domino effect" in terms of immediate trades, and SNY's Andy Martino explained on Tuesday's Baseball Night in New York that the team is comfortable with their internal options. 

In Luis Severino's first public comments since Brian Cashman announced that the right-hander would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, the two-time All-Star promised to come back "stronger than ever."

Severino, via a statement released on Tuesday evening, confirmed that he has elected to have the surgery after consulting with the Yankees, his family, and his representatives. He also said that he is "extremely disappointed that I will not be able to put on a Yankees uniform and compete with my teammates this year."

Luis Severino has released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/SDIMegu2Mm

Tags: Aaron Judge, J.A. Happ, James Paxton, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka

Read More

Comments

• Share:

New York City should expect some hardware to arrive in the next few months, as both Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom and Yankees new ace Gerrit Cole are the favorites to bring home the Cy Young awards in their respective leagues this season.

William Hill sportsbook has both deGrom and Cole as 3/1 favorites to win the award in 2020.

"DeGrom has won two Cy Youngs in a row and is in his prime, and Cole is coming off of one of the greatest pitching years of all time," said Nick Bogdanovich, William Hill's director of trading, according to The Post.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Just over a year ago, when word spread through the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa that the team had agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Luis Severino, the first blush of criticism fell on the pitcher and his agents.

Agents, rival executives and some players wondered how the young ace could settle for such a below-market deal. 

With MLB Spring Training well underway in Florida and Arizona, farm systems and their prospects are getting an extra look at this time of the year.

The Athletic's Keith Law put together his Top 100 prospects for 2020, and had three Yankees on his list: 

51. Clarke Schmidt, RHP, New York Yankees

The Yankees' often injured first round pick from 2017 finally looked healthier last season, after already having Tommy John surgery before the team drafted him and then barely pitching in 2018 due to an oblique strain. Schmidt threw 90.2 innings in the minors and found his way all the way up to Double A ball by the end of the year.

Yankees RHP Luis Severino will undergo Tommy John surgery, GM Brian Cashman said Tuesday.

With Tommy John surgery requiring a recovery time for pitchers of 12-to-18 months, Severino's 2020 season is over. And he could potentially miss the beginning of the 2021 season as well.

"Sevy has acknowledged and agreed the surgery is necessary," Cashman said. "His plan is to have it done as soon as possible. He's obviously contemplating the doctors and who to do it with. He's still working through the process."

The Yankees have lost Luis Severino for the season due to Tommy John surgery, causing one sportsbook (so far) to remove the Bombers as the favorites to win the 2020 World Series.

DraftKings Sportsbook now has the Yanks at +400 to win it all, behind the Dodgers, who are at +375.

Since signing Gerrit Cole, the Yanks have been viewed by most as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series.

Here are the full new odds from DraftKings:

Despite the news of Luis Severino needing Tommy John Surgery, the Yankees still had baseball to play on Tuesday, and Rosell Herrera had himself a big game in the 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. >> Box score

5 things to know from Tuesday's game...

1) Nick Tropeano got the start for the Yankees and put together a nice showing, allowing just one hit and no runs, while striking out a batter in two innings. Pitching prospect Brooks Kriske gave up the lone run on a home run, but struck out the other two batters in his one inning of the day.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who has been dealing with a shoulder issue, could make his Grapefruit League debut at some point next week, manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.

After being shut down from hitting for a few days (and not throwing at the beginning of last week), Judge began his hitting program this past Friday.

Judge had been prohibited from hitting since last Monday, but he and Boone have viewed his shoulder issue as minor.

Gerrit Cole started on the mound for the Yankees on Monday, and though he threw just one inning, he showcased exactly why the Yankees are confident he'll be their ace for years to come.

Cole opened up his outing getting Adam Frazier pop out to shortstop, then struck out Bryan Reynolds for the second out of the inning. He walked Cole Tucker, but recovered to strike out Josh Bell to end the inning.

All told, Cole threw 20 pitches (12 strikes), and according to those in Tampa, hit 98 mph on the stadium radar gun. 

Gerrit Cole started for the Yankees and threw a scoreless first, but the Yankees and Pirates played to a 3-3 spring training tie on Monday. >> Box score

5 things to know from Monday's game...

1) Yankees fans likely couldn't have hoped for anything more out of Cole's spring training debut. He got leadoff hitter Adam Frazier to pop out to shortstop before striking out Bryan Reynolds. He walked Cole Tucker on four pitches, but recovered to get Josh Bell swinging to end the inning.

Gerrit Cole made his spring training debut for the Yankees on Monday and did not disappoint. The right-hander struck out a pair of Pirates in his one inning of work, retiring the side on 20 pitches without allowing a run.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Days before Miguel Andujar decided to have season-ending shoulder surgery last May, the team was preparing to option him to Triple-A Scranton.

Andujar had finished in second place the year before in American League Rookie of the Year voting, but was not performing after a return from the disabled list. The Yankees couldn't carry him anymore. 

Everyone involved concluded that the issue was injury, not talent or skill, so Andujar made the difficult decision to shut it down for the year.

Yankees Hall of Famer and Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter, like many, told reporters on Monday that the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal was a big-time blemish for baseball. 

That doesn't mean Jeter was all that surprised by it happening, though.

"It's like a slow drip of responses coming out from everyone," Jeter said. "You hope at some point people can just move on. But, look, it's unfortunate. It's a black eye for the sport."

Back on the diamond for his first baseball game since May 12, Miguel Andujar dug into the box in the bottom of the fifth inning Sunday and reminded the crowd at George M. Steinbrenner Field that he can still swing the bat.

Andujar, who slashed .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI in 149 games as a rookie in 2018, smacked a two-out solo shot to right field off LHP Anthony Banda and highlighted the Yankees' 9-7 spring training loss against the Rays.

After missing most of 2019 with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, slashing .128/.143/.128 with one RBI in 12 games before undergoing season-ending surgery May 20, Andujar told reporters Sunday that he had not faced live-game pitching since then.

Miguel Andujar blasted a solo home run in the fifth inning, but the Yankees would go on to fall to the Rays 9-7 on Sunday afternoon. >> Box score

5 things to know from Sunday's game...

1) In the top half of the first inning, Trey Amburgey doubled to left field to score Estevan Florial and give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Jonathan Loaisiga then tossed a shutout first inning, striking out Rays leadoff man Austin Meadows to start the game. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

True, it's early in spring training. But with the way injuries have piled up for the Yankees since 2019, including in camp, it's never too early to consider contingency plans. 

That's why we've cooked up a look at what the club's rotation might be like on Opening Day if Luis Severino is not healthy enough to start the season. 

J.A. Happ pitched two perfect innings in the Yankees' opening game of spring training, but the Bombers lost to the Blue Jays by a final score of 2-1 on Saturday. >> Box score

5 things to know from Saturday's game...

1) Happ faced six projected Blue Jays regulars over his two innings and retired all of them, including strikeouts of Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk. 

The Yankees won't have pitcher James Paxton when the team breaks camp in a few weeks, after the left-hander underwent surgery earlier this month to remove a peridiscal cyst. 

But manager Aaron Boone is optimistic the starting pitcher could re-join the team sometime in May.

"Paxton is on track to start throwing in the next 10 days or so," Boone said on the radio broadcast of Saturday's spring training game against the Blue Jays. "I think there is a really good chance that he'll be ready sometime in May. He's doing well and we're excited about where he's at."

Mark Teixeira was a Yankee for eight seasons, the final three of which were spent as a teammate of Carlos Beltran. When Beltran was implicated in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, The Athletic reported that he had told his new teammates that they were "behind the times." in regards to their efforts to decipher opponents' signals. 

Does that mean his immediate former team, the Yankees, were the ones that were setting the standard? According to the Post, Teixeira says not so fast.

"I don't believe any of my Yankee teammates ever broke the rules by passing along signs to hitters in real time," Teixeira said. "We would have seen it."

As Spring Training begins in Tampa, the Yankees are looking to have a much healthier season than the one they went through in 2019, when it seemed like almost every player spent time on the injured list. 

But things haven't gotten off to a great start.

Luis Severino, who started just three regular-season games for the Yankees in 2019 due to a rotator cuff injury, once again is dealing with an arm ailment.

The 26-year-old has been shut down from pitching at spring training and was sent to New York for further testing of his arm, per Aaron Boone.

Clint Frazier played in just 69 games for the Yankees in 2019, mainly when the team was dealing with injuries in the outfield. The 25-year-old split his time between the big leagues and in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

This season, Frazier is focused on making the Yankees' Opening Day roster, especially since the MLB expanded roster sizes by one player to 26 total players.

At one point, I was starting left field (for the Yankees)," Frazier told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. "And then at another point, I was starting left field in (Triple-A) Scranton. I have my eyes on that other spot (starting for Yankees)

In light of Thursday's news that Luis Severino would be shut down at spring training and Friday's frustrating comments from the two-time All-Star RHP, manager Aaron Boone wanted to add more clarity but couldn't.

Meeting with reporters early Friday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., Boone was asked about Severino's situation. The Yankees, however, still don't know what's wrong with the 26-year-old.

After forearem soreness from late in the 2019 season resurfaced, Severino is set to leave Tampa and head for New York, where he will undergo further tests starting Monday.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Before the Yankees' spring camp opened, Jordan Montgomery figured to be one of a number of hopefuls competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. But with another pinstriped injury-a-thon perhaps cranking up, Montgomery has soared in importance and maybe moved up the pitching depth chart.

James Paxton is out until at least May following back surgery and now Luis Severino is dealing with right forearm soreness and could start the season on the Injured List. Domingo German still has 63 games left to serve on his 81-game domestic violence suspension.

So bump up Montgomery to fourth in the rotation, following Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ, at least for now? Sure, since he has more big-league starting experience than rotation candidates such as Luis Cessa, Deivi Garcia, Michael King and Jonathan Loaisiga.

Yankees RHP Luis Severino voiced his frustration early Friday morning, a day after new broke that he's been shut down at spring training due to forearm soreness.

"It's definitely frustrating to hear this stuff again ... it is so weird, I don't get it," Severino said, according to SNY contributor Sweeny Murti

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch added that Severino said he only feels discomfort when he throws a changeup, which is why he doesn't believe the "loose body" in his elbow is the cause. Severino is scheduled to see a doctor on Friday.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

It's easy to get scouts and executives gushing when you bring up Gleyber Torres and his prospects for the 2020 season: 

"He's a young star and the Yankees have every reason to be thrilled about him," says one competing club official.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

PORT ST. LUCIE -- The voices pushing MLB to strip the Houston Astros of their 2017 championship have grown louder this week, with the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton joining the chorus.

Baseball players, executives and fans are angry and unsatisfied, wanting the Astros to face stiffer consequences for their cheating. According to two high-ranking rival executives, many owners are far more angry about the scandal -- and at Astros owner Jim Crane personally -- than the league anticipated they would be.

MLB understands all this, but remains unlikely to take the aggressive step for which many are calling.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Thursday that RHP Luis Severino will be shut down, as he is dealing with forearm soreness. He called the issue "concerning," per YES Network's Jack Curry.

Boone explained how Severino has been dealing with that soreness since his last start in the ALCS. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch added that Boone said Severino, who turned 26 years old Thursday, has a loose body in his pitching elbow as well.  

GM Brian Cashman said that Severino won't be seeing Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Friday, as Boone had said, and he has been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and rest in the meantime. Newsday's David Lennon says Severino will be seeing an orthopedist on Friday instead.

Aaron Judge, who has been dealing with soreness in his right shoulder, will begin his hitting program on Friday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Thursday.

Judge has not been allowed to hit since Monday and has already been ruled out of the team's Grapefruit League opener, which is Saturday against the Blue Jays.

But both Boone and Judge viewed the issue as minor, and with Judge beginning his hitting program on Friday, it's fair to believe he'll be able to hit in games before too long.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With the Yankees kicking off their spring training schedule on Saturday when they open Grapefruit League play against the Blue Jays, we're about to go from "best shape of his life" stories that often don't matter to game results that never matter.

While it will be fun to see Aaron Judge taking his hacks against another team's pitcher and Gerrit Cole's glare 60 feet, six inches away, it's important to enjoy these games for what they are: fun distractions on the march to the first game that actually matters, when the Yankees travel to Baltimore to face the Orioles on March 26.

Since the Yankees reported to Spring Training over the past week in Tampa, Florida, players have naturally been asked about the Astros' electronic sign-stealing scandal.

Yankees CF Aaron Hicks became the latest to do so Wednesday, and he didn't hold back on his stance when speaking with SNY contributor Sweeny Murti.

Hicks -- who faced the Astros in New York's 2017 and '19 ALCS losses, which respectively went seven and six games -- echoed his teammates' sentiments from the past few days when he expressed frustration with Houston's cheating.

Roughly four months removed from surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Yankees CF Aaron Hicks told SNY contributor Sweeny Murti that the recovery has gone well.

During a 1-on-1 interview Wednesday at Spring Training in Tampa, Florida, Hicks told Murti about his rehabilitation process, which he admitted has seen ups and downs on the 30-year-old's road back to the field.

"I feel great," Hicks told Murti. "I feel like my arm is recovering good, recovering fast and I'm kind of just ready to get things going. The first couple of months were kind of slow, just trying to get strength back and stuff like that with grip strength. So pretty much just trying to just kind of enjoy the ride right now, because I know it's a long road, but just excited for the future."

Luis Severino is aiming for a big bounce-back season with the Yankees in 2020, and if it looks anything like his handful of games late last year, the team will definitely be happy. 

Severino was solid at the very end of the regular season and pitched well in the postseason. Heading into spring training, he told SNY contributor Sweeny Murti that he is feeling great, and that can be attributed to some offseason tweaks. 

"I feel pretty great," he said. "Last year was a tough year for me, but this year I changed a little bit of my routine. We talked to the trainers and made a really good program to come here healthy."

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said last Thursday that he didn't know about his former Astros team's electronic sign stealing, and he doubled down on his initial comments during Wednesday's media availability.

More than one week into Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, the Astros' scandal has dominated the discussion around the Yankees.

Cole, who played for Houston from 2018-19 before signing a nine-year contract worth $324 million with New York, was asked about the strong comments made in recent days by his new Yankees teammates regarding the Astros' cheating.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole faces live batters during spring training in Tampa, Fla. on Wednesday.

Yankees OF Aaron Judge explained how he has been feeling soreness in his shoulder for about a week now on Tuesday, and manager Aaron Boone said that it will likely lead to him missing at least the team's first spring training game on Saturday. 

But it might not be any longer than that. 

Judge was seen throwing at practice on Wednesday, and Boone gave an update on the All-Star's status.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Yankees spring training is in full swing down in Tampa, as players gear up for the start of games at the end of the week. It is during these games that position battles will start to heat up, and players on the bubble will fight for roster spots.

We made a couple of tweaks to our Opening Day roster from our original prediction to the 2.0 version, and after a few developments already at camp, the same can be said for this one.

So, without further ado, let's look at the starting lineup...

Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark was down in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday to talk with the Mets, but also took time to answer some questions about the Astros sign-stealing scandal. 

MLBPA released a statement following MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's comments saying the union had pushed back after the league wouldn't rule out disciplining players when trying to make progress within the investigation. Clark said that anything regarding the obstruction of the investigation "is completely untrue."

Clark continued to comment on the immunity situation, saying that disciplining players wasn't even in the initial conversations before the investigations began.