Yankees manager Aaron Boone has decided to give the Opening Day nod to the split-finger throwing Masahiro Tanaka, in lieu of the flame-throwing Severino.
As the Yankees ace was quickly shut down from baseball activities due to an inflamed rotator cuff, the already concerning rotation just as quickly became an even more significant concern.
Losing any starter other than Severino wouldn’t have hurt the Yanks quite as much, but a month without their 25-year-old ace, one of the two right-handers in the rotation — and undoubtedly the best of the staff is a major blow.
Of course, the Bombers offense can make up for the lack of pitching, but a healthy Severino can push this team past other powerhouse clubs.