New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino allowed three consecutive home runs to Cincinnati and left Wednesday's start against the Reds because of right shoulder tightness.
Severino, whose velocity was down, underwent an MRI on Thursday. He told reporters Thursday that his arm was a little sore, and manager Aaron Boone said Severino likely would end up on the injured list.
The 28-year-old right-hander allowed homers to Kyle Farmer, Mike Moustakas and Stuart Fairchild in a four-pitch span in the second inning. After Boone and an athletic trainer came to the mound, Severino finished the inning. He went to the mound to start the third and threw a warm-up pitch then walked off and was replaced by rookie JP Sears.
"I talked to him after the first inning," Boone said Wednesday. "He was just a little leery of letting it go, but he kept saying, 'I feel really good.' Something was telling him to hold back a little bit. That was the biggest thing."
Farmer hit a 431-foot drive to left on Severino's slider, Moustakas connected on a changeup and Fairchild on a 92 mph fastball. This was the third time Severino allowed three homers in a game, the first since Aug. 28, 2017, against Cleveland.
The Yankees won 7-6 in 10 innings.
Severino averaged 94.1 mph with 18 fastballs, down from his season average of 96.1 mph.
"Today I woke up feeling not that great," Severino said Wednesday. "I felt a little tight shoulder going to warm up and do all my stuff in the bullpen. It stayed the same in the game."
Severino won 19 games in 2018 and was selected for his second straight All-Star team. After signing a four-year, $40 million contract in February 2019, Severino strained his latissimus dorsi muscle and didn't make his first start until Sept. 17. He made two more in the postseason then had Tommy John surgery Feb. 27, 2020.
He returned Sept. 21 last season and made four relief appearances plus another in the American League wild-card game.
Severino is 5-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 16 starts in 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.