BOSTON — After Luis Severino’s last start, Aaron Boone was much more encouraged than the right-hander himself.
Following another mixed bag on Sunday night, Severino sounded more amenable to looking at the positives as he looked to turn the corner.
Severino only lasted five innings in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox that finished off a doubleheader sweep at Fenway Park, but he saw improved life on his fastball while giving up four runs, three of them earned.
“It’s Sevy, we want and expect a lot and want more,” Boone said. “But I feel like there’s some things to take out of his last two starts that are hopefully things that will propel him forward. Mainly stuff and the ease of that stuff coming out.”
Severino averaged 97 mph on his fastball Sunday and generated nine whiffs with the pitch.
But he was left regretting a 1-1 changeup he threw to Triston Casas with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, which knocked in a pair of runs to put the Red Sox up 4-1.
With the way the Yankees’ offense has been scuffling lately, it was enough to serve as a knockout punch.
Luis Severino reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the fourth inning against the Red Sox.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post “I want to give a chance to my team,” said Severino, who has a 6.30 ERA through six starts. “Right now, we’re not in a good spot scoring runs, but it doesn’t matter the situation, I want to go out there and throw up zeroes.”
After Sunday’s game, the Yankees optioned Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, opening the door for Harrison Bader to be activated on Tuesday against the Mariners.
Bader was initially expected to be back from a hamstring strain on Friday, but opted to play two more rehab games to clear a mental hurdle to make sure he could use his legs at full speed.
Cabrera had been optioned to SWB earlier this month but never played a game there before needing to be called back up two days later when Greg Allen landed on the IL.
He started Sunday night and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Ian Hamilton (groin strain) began a rehab assignment on Sunday with Double-A Somerset, tossing a scoreless inning and allowing a double with two strikeouts on 16 pitches.
It was the first of “at least three” rehab appearances the Yankees want Hamilton to make, Boone said, meaning he will likely not be back until the Yankees’ next road trip next week.
Nestor Cortes took a small first step in his recovery from a rotator cuff strain, playing catch on Sunday morning for the first time since being shut down two weeks ago.
If he continues to progress without issues, he could be in play to return in early to mid-July.
Aaron Judge (sprained right toe) was “a lot better” on Saturday and Sunday, Boone said, after being “pretty beat up” and “in a lot of pain” after receiving a second PRP injection on Thursday.
Clarke Schmidt and Nick Ramirez each committed a balk in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. It marked the Yankees’ second game with two balks in their last four games.
Greg Weissert tossed 1 ¹/₃ innings scoreless innings in Game 1 as the 27th man before being sent back to Triple-A after the doubleheader.
