Going into the offseason, the Yankees’ sought to upgrade their starting rotation. They felt it was an area they had to improve if they were going to make a bigger playoff push for 2019. So, the Bombers went out and acquired left-handed pitcher James Paxton in a trade with the Mariners to bolster the starting staff.
The rotation looked formidable in spring training, boasting two ace-caliber pitchers in Luis Severino and Paxton. Then the worst-case scenario occurred and Severino landed on the injured list. An inflamed rotator cuff turned into a Grade 2 lat strain, Severino’s expected return date shifted to mid-season.