Luis Severino had hoped to face his former team when the Yankees and Mets face each other at Citi Field next week, but the right-hander was bumped and will pitch Sunday against the Cubs, in Chicago instead.
While Severino was disappointed, one longtime former teammate was not.
“I’d rather not face him,” Aaron Judge said before hitting a two-run homer and driving in three runs in the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Braves on Saturday night in The Bronx. “I’ve seen him a couple times in live [batting practice] and even in 2020 and ’21, with the lockout, and got a chance to go up against him there. He has great stuff.”
That stuff has been on display again this season with the Mets after Severino had a disastrous final season as a Yankee, the team that signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2011.
After finishing with a 6.65 ERA last year with the Yankees, Severino enters Sunday with a 3.52 ERA in his first season in Queens.
“I’m excited to see him do well over there with the Mets,’’ Judge said. “I’m happy for him.”
The two came up through the Yankees’ minor league system.
“We were there a long time together, even going back to Low-A Charleston,’’ Judge said. “He was a little quicker than I was getting to the big leagues.”
Severino went on to make back-to-back All-Star Game appearances with the Yankees in 2017 and ’18 before injuries hampered his career.
“He was always impressive and a hard worker,’’ Judge said. “Even when the injury bug hit him, he never stopped working.”
Severino’s time with the Yankees bottomed out last season and it was clear on both sides that a fresh start was in order for the 30-year-old.
Now, there may be a chance the two could end up in the All-Star Game next month.
“He’s got his body back where he wants it to be,’’ Judge said. “I wish he was still here in pinstripes having this comeback season, but he’s still in New York.”
Asked if he thought Severino needed a change of scenery to get back to this point, Judge said: “That’s tough to say. He’s fully healthy and maybe he felt pressure trying to rush back last year. Maybe that hurt him and now he’s coming off a normal offseason and we’re seeing the results.”