The story of today’s game is Luis Severino, or rather, his absence. Early this morning, the Yankees scratched the right-hander from today’s start, one intended to be his last chance to fine tune for the regular season. Sevy will miss the start of the season with a lat strain, and frankly, that’s just a huge bummer.
Right-hander Randy Vásquez will “pinch-pitch” for Severino today. Vásquez is the Yankees’ 14th-ranked prospect as per MLB.com. The 24-year-old features a four-pitch mix, one highlighted by his curveball. MLB.com calls it the “nastiest curveball” in the entire Yankee organization.