Doctors Remove Existing Bone Chip in Luis Severino's Elbow During Successful Tommy John Surgery
By Jackson Thompson
Yankees ace Luis Severino underwent Tommy John Surgery on Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. While the procedure was successful, it required one additional unforeseen step.
During the procedure, Dr. David Altchek removed an existing bone chip in Severino's right elbow.
#Yankees announce that Luis Severino underwent Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The surgery went as planned.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 28, 2020
Additionally, an existing bone chip in his right elbow was removed during the procedure.
The surgery will keep Severino off the field until at least the 2021 season. The 26-year-old Dominican hurler missed nearly all of the 2019 season due to an inflamed rotator cuff and subsequent lat strain, but was able to return in mid September, just in time for postseason action. The additional, unforeseen bone chip is merely an afterthought at this point, as Severino will have more than enough time to recover from all existing injuries.
Luis Severino had a 2.31 ERA with 144 SO in 128.1 innings in 2018 prior to @FrankieBorrelli touching him. He finished that year with a 5.57 ERA in 63 innings, was limited to just 12 innings in all of 2019 due to injury and now he needs Tommy John surgery. Really makes you think.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) February 25, 2020
Severino will make no such return in 2020, but at the very least, Yankees fans can take solace in knowing that his surgery went as planned, and their ace could be on track to return at some point in the 2021 season. At just 26 years of age, Severino could have many productive years ahead after recovering from Tommy John. Staying healthy from that point forward, however, remains an all-important task.