Luis Severino’s return to Yankee Stadium wasn’t just about the game; it had layers of significance. It would have been a noteworthy moment even without the background context.
His name might not be floating in trade rumors, but he hasn’t been comparing this to games at Sutter Health Park, a minor league venue in West Sacramento, California. The A’s have been playing there until their move to Las Vegas is complete, making it feel sort of like a spring training site—definitely not ideal for serious games.
So, during a recent bullpen session, he was grappling with whether his pitches were falling flat, especially since there wasn’t a post-game review on Sunday to dissect.
Amid all this, Severino’s dad was watching from the Bronx as he threw four innings in a 12-5 Yankees win, giving up seven runs. I think it must have been a mixed bag of emotions for him.
Neither Severino nor A’s manager Mark Cotsou seemed to think that pitching was the main issue, although Severino did express some regret about being “honest” regarding his feelings about the A’s stadium.
He feels like he doesn’t have a say in any potential trade before the July 31 deadline, admitting that this season isn’t unfolding as he had hoped.
“Whether they end up trading me or not, I’m going to keep pushing myself to be my best,” Severino commented. He played for the Yankees from 2015 to 2023. He continues, “If they’re upset, well, I can’t change that. If you ask me if I like pitching at home, I won’t lie to you. Eventually, you’ll see through it if it’s not true. I wasn’t trying to offend anyone, but I doubt I’m alone in feeling this way.”
He noticed some “little things” from his last start but stopped short of pointing to clear changes, stating that “most of the chipping is not 100%.” He feels his performance is at about 70 or 80%. He’s been working on his glove positioning, adjusted his mechanics initially, but felt everything fell apart on Sunday.
After that, there was a flashback to a year ago when he criticized the “two good batsman” performance during the Mets and Yankees face-off, which resulted in an early exit for the second time in 2025.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. smashed the first pitch out of the park during two innings, and Severino struggled, loading the bases and then yielding a triple to Chisholm. Aaron Judge added two more runs on a homer in the fourth, making Severino feel like he was just a temporary fix for a team mired in struggles.
Maybe he’ll be back in New York City next month, should the Mets trade for him, or he might end up pitching in Sacramento for a while. After allowing 29 runs in his last six starts, it’s clear that Severino is not at his best. “I’m not myself right now,” he admitted.
