Door opens wider for Montgomery with Severino's Tommy John surgery

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Luis Severino will miss the season with an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery, and the New York Yankees' rotation no longer looks all that imposing.

New York announced Tuesday that the 26-year-old right-hander has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, a development that means the two-time All-Star will miss all of 2020 after being sidelined for nearly all of 2019.

Severino's injury leaves the AL East favorites with a rotation of newly signed ace Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and two openings. One of the leading candidates to fill one of those spots is former Sumter High, Sumter P-15's and University of South Carolina standout Jordan Montgomery.

The left-handed Montgomery, who came back in September of the 2019 season from Tommy John surgery after missing the vast majority of the 2018 season, has been throwing at up to 94 miles per hour and is the leading candidate for one slot.

Montgomery, who was the fifth starter as a rookie in 2017 and posted a 9-7 record, pitched two scoreless innings in his spring training debut on Monday.

Jonathan Loaisiga and rookies Deivi Garcia and Michael King are possibilities along with Luis Cessa to fill the spots as well.

"We're always constantly looking for upgrades anyway," general manager Brian Cashman said. "But this time of year you always look from within and see and give opportunities for what you have and typically that's how it shakes out, especially until after the June draft regardless, so you keep relying on depth. So wouldn't say expect any domino effect or cause and effect in terms of us being able to go to marketplace where a marketplace this time of year typically doesn't exist."

The usual recovery time for Tommy John surgery is a year or more. For Montgomery, it was 15 months.

However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it will be business as usual for his team.

"I don't want to sugarcoat the fact that being without Sevy, that's a blow, but it doesn't change our expectations and what we're truly capable of," Boone said. "So, no, nothing changes."

New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek will operate Thursday in New York.

"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be able to put on a Yankees uniform and compete with my teammates this year," Severino said in a statement posted on Twitter. "but I promise that I will be working tirelessly during this process to come back stronger than ever."

Left-hander James Paxton already was projected to miss the first two months of the season following back surgery on Feb. 5. Domingo Germ n must serve the final 63 games of an 81-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. He is eligible to return June 5, barring any postponements.

New York won the AL East with a 103-59 record last year, its best in a decade, and lost to Houston in the AL Championship Series.

Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 2018 and was given a $40 million, four-year contract. He 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 postseason outings.

Boone said Severino first felt the soreness in the days after his Game 3 start in the ALCS.

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.