Bronx goner: Yankees dealt blow as pitcher Luis Severino needs Tommy John surgery

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino needs Tommy John, or elbow ligament reconstruction, surgery and will miss the 2020 season, another setback for the two-time all-star and the rotation of the American League East favourites.

"His plan is to have it done as soon as possible," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday.

The right-handed Severino, who turned 26 this month, was sidelined until the final weeks of the regular season last year. Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently said Severino had been feeling on and off discomfort since October.

New York already expects to be without left-hander James Paxton of Ladner, B.C., for the first two months of the season following back surgery on Feb. 5.

Severino's injury leaves the Yankees with a rotation of newly signed ace Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and two openings until the return of Paxton and Domingo German, who must serve the final 63 games of an 81-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. German is eligible to return June 5, barring any postponements.

Lefty Jordan Montgomery, who came back in September from Tommy John surgery, has been throwing at up to 94 miles per hour and is the leading candidate for one slot. Jonathan Loaisiga and rookies Deivi Garcia and Michael King are possibilities along with Luis Cessa.

19-game winner in 2018

The Yankees won 103 games last year in taking the division.

Severino, who went 19-8 with a 3.39 earned-run average in 2018, signed a four-year, $40-million US contract and was scratched from his first scheduled spring training appearance on March 5 because of rotator cuff inflammation in his right shoulder.

The Yankees said April 9 he had strained his latissimus dorsi muscle. He did not make a minor league injury rehabilitation appearance until Sept. 1 and did not make his first appearance for the Yankees until Sept. 17.

Severino was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings in three regular-season starts for New York, then was 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA over 8 1/3 innings in a pair of post-season outings.

Boone said the soreness first was felt in the days after Severino's Game 3 start against Houston in the AL Championship Series on Oct. 15.

Severino had an MRI in New York in early December and was cleared to start his throwing program. He experienced discomfort while throwing his changeup on flat ground during January in the Dominican Republic. Severino returned to New York, and another MRI and CT scan were negative.

Blue Jays' Pearson strikes out side in spring debut

Top Toronto prospect Nate Pearson struck out the side in his one-inning pre-season debut as the Blue Jays lost 4-1 to the visiting Yankees in split-squad action Tuesday in Dunedin, Fla.

Pearson struck out Tyler Wade, Miguel Andujar and Mike Tauchman to open the game before giving way to Julian Merryweather.

The 23-year-old Pearson is projected to start the season with triple-A Buffalo.

A first-round pick (28th overall) of the Blue Jays in 2017, Pearson split time between double-A New Hampshire (1-4 with a 2.59 ERA in 16 starts) and Buffalo (1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts) last season.