TORONTO — Luis Severino was optioned to the minor leagues Monday. One more bad outing from Michael Pineda could result in the same fate.
After Severino started a minor league rehab assignment Sunday for Single-A Tampa, the right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — with the Yankees hoping the 22-year-old can begin to rebuild what has been a miserable season.
After going 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts last season after being called up in August, the Yankees hoped he could make a move up the rotation ladder this season. Instead, Severino went 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA in seven starts. He was placed on the DL with a strained right triceps on May 14.
“He is healthy and starting every fifth day and we want to get him back on track,’’ Joe Girardi said. “It’s been a struggle for him this year. Early on I thought he pitched better than he did later. We need to get him going. He is too talented to be pitching the way he has pitched.’’
Considering how well Severino pitched a year ago, when the hitters didn’t know him, the mental side of having been sent to the minors can’t be ignored. It also will likely shape the outcome of whether it is something Severino can handle.
“I think you have to be able to overcome adversity to truly have success in this game,’’ Girardi said. “This should just be a bump in the road for him to where he makes strides and improves as a pitcher and in the long run this should make him better.
“There aren’t too many guys who come to the big leagues and stay and have success, success, success. Everyone is usually sent down a time or two and taken off the roster and come back and have a ton of success.’’
As for Pineda, Girardi said the difference is his résumé is deeper than Severino’s. However, Pineda doesn’t have forever to show the Yankees he deserves to remain in the big leagues.
“Michael has a bigger body of work. Some of the other numbers, Michael struck out more and walked less,’’ Girardi said of Pineda, who will start against the Tigers in Detroit on Thursday and possibly be working for his big league roster spot. “I think his command has been a little bit better, but we have to get Michael straightened out, too.’’
Pineda, 27, was tabbed to start the second game of the regular season against the Astros and therefore was considered the Yankees’ No. 2 starter behind Masahiro Tanaka. So much has changed in two months. In 10 starts, Pineda is 2-6 with a 6.92 ERA and has given up 73 hits in 53 ¹/₃ innings because the cut on his fastball has vanished and too many pitches have found the middle of the strike zone without movement.
Hence the .322 batting average against and the 6.92 ERA, which both ranked last (50th) among AL pitchers who qualify.
Another avenue is to shift Pineda to the bullpen if the outing against the Tigers doesn’t go well. Luis Cessa could be inserted into the rotation, leaving a long-relief role open for Pineda. However, all 78 of Pineda’s big league games are as a starter and his surgically repaired shoulder might not hold up to pitching more frequently.
“We haven’t yet,’’ Girardi said about talking of moving Pineda to the pen. “Obviously, we have to get him going because he is important to our rotation.’’
