Yankees' Luis Severino throws first bullpen session since Tommy John surgery: 'He was really efficient'

Severino is expected to rejoin the Yankees at midseason

New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino took a significant step forward in his return from Tommy John surgery earlier this week. Severino threw 20 pitches, all fastballs, during a bullpen session Tuesday. It was Severino's first time throwing off a mound as part of his rehab. He had his elbow rebuilt on Feb. 27 last year.

Here's what Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Severino's bullpen session (via the Associated Press):

"It was a lot of fun for me to get over there on Tuesday morning to be there to see that first one and just to see how he's moving around," Boone said before Thursday's exhibition against Philadelphia in Clearwater.

"There's just a confidence in that he's kind of exuding in his health, just watching him play catch, the way his body is, the kind of shape he's in and the free and easy way in which he's throwing," Boone said. "He was really efficient the other day — it really kind of throwing it exactly where he wanted. He was coming out hot. We almost said, 'Hey, back off a little bit. It's coming out a little too well.' And he wasn't working for it necessarily. So really encouraged about where he's at to this point."

Severino, 27, has been limited to 20 1/3 innings by arm injuries since signing his four-year, $40 million extension in Feb. 2019. He went down with shoulder and lat trouble in spring training 2019, then returned late that year to make three regular season starts and two postseason starts. Severino did not pitch at all last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The typical Tommy John surgery rehab timetable is 14-18 months these days, putting Severino on track to return at midseason. The Yankees have a no-doubt ace in Gerrit Cole, and then a lot of questions in their rotation. Offseason additions Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon threw one inning last year, and No. 5 starter Domingo German served a domestic violence suspension in 2020.

Pitchers often battle control issues when they first return from Tommy John surgery, and it's difficult to know what to expect in Year 1 with the new elbow ligament. The Yankees are surely hoping Severino can rejoin the team this summer and be an impact No. 2 starter behind Cole, though he still has a lot of rehab ahead of him.

From 2017-18, Severino pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 450 strikeouts in 384 2/3 regular season innings. He finished third in the Cy Young voting in 2017 and ninth in 2018.