NFL
By: Billy Lewis
The beginning of the MLB regular season should be a time of excitement. We’ve had Spring Training games for just about a week. And yet the injury bug is back, front and center for the New York Yankees. After earlier announcing that James Paxton would miss time, Luis Severino joined the injured group on Tuesday.
Tuesday afternoon, New York announced that Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery. After the signing of Gerrit Cole, it appeared the Yankees would have one of, if not the best rotation in baseball. They would have been able to run out:
- Cole
- Severino
- Paxton
- Tanaka
- Happ
The top three guys would all have had ace-like stuff, while Tanaka has proved a big-game pitcher in his career. Now with a month to go until the Regular Season, it looks as though they will be:
- Cole
- Tanaka
- Happ
- Montgomery
- TBD
The Yankees still have plenty of talent, and the Severino injury should not hurt their chances of winning the AL East. Paxton should be back early on in the season and help to strengthen their rotation. The issue shouldn’t reappear until October when starting pitching comes at a premium.
If all plays out well, the Yankees should still be the AL favorites. Last year Severino only made three starts, and the Yankees nevertheless won 103 games. When healthy, the Yankees maintain their status as the best team in baseball. However, after all the injuries from last season, “when healthy” plays a more significant role than fans would like.
The 2020 season is still going to be fun in the Bronx. Hopefully, we’ll get to see the Bombers at full strength more often than not. With everybody in the lineup, every game will be must-watch for the New York Yankees.
