Yankees' Severino to have MRI after leaving start with shoulder tightness

New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino left his start against the Cincinnati Reds after just two innings due to right shoulder tightness, the team announced.

Severino will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the full extent of his injury.

It's unclear when Severino suffered the injury. He struggled during Wednesday's brief outing, and his velocity was down at times, according to YES Network's Jack Curry. He gave up three straight homers in the top of the second, then pulled himself before the top of the third after throwing a few warmup pitches.

Left-hander JP Sears took over for Severino, allowing two Reds runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.

Severino has been a solid member of the Yankees' rotation this season, sporting a 3.45 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 95 strikeouts over 16 starts. The 28-year-old entered the year having made just seven regular-season appearances in the majors between 2019 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.

Another long-term injury to Severino would be devastating for the Yankees, who've rocketed to the best record in baseball thanks in part to their stellar starting pitching. The Bronx Bombers have six pitchers on the injured list, including right-hander Domingo German, who's made four rehab starts on his current assignment and is a potential rotation option.