Luis Severino scratched from start with right shoulder discomfort

TAMPA, Fla. – New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino has been scratched from his first scheduled spring training start due to right shoulder discomfort.

Severino was slated to face the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday but was replaced by Stephan Tarpley. Another Yankees starter, J.A. Happ, entered in the third inning.

New York manager Aaron Boone has said Severino was expected to the opening-day starter against Baltimore on March. 28.

“When he was getting warmed up for the game, he just threw a pitch and felt something around the lat or back of the shoulder and just didn’t feel right, so walked off,” Boone said during the telecast on the Yankees’ YES Network. “He’s going to see the doctor and get an MRI this afternoon and kind of hope for the best.”

Boone said he did not know specifics of the injury.

“Any time a guy is scheduled to make a start and has to walk off the mound, that’s always concerning,” Boone said.

Severino avoided an arbitration hearing with the Yankees and agreed to a $40 million, four-year contract, a deal that includes a team option and could be worth $52.25 million for five seasons.

Severino has a 41-25 career record with a 3.51 ERA.

The 25-year old right-hander is a two-time All-Star. He went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA last year, winning 14 of his first 16 decisions but then five of his last 11. He came out early in both of his postseason starts, going 0-1 in seven innings.

Center fielder Aaron Hicks, who agreed to a $70 million, seven-year contract, was out of the lineup for the second straight day due to a back injury. Acquired from Minnesota in November 2015, Hicks has been on the disabled list in all six of his big league seasons, nine trips in all for hamstring strains (three times), oblique strains (twice), shoulder, forearm and intercostal strains, and a concussion.

A 29-year-old switch-hitter, Hicks took over as the Yankees primary center fielder last year and set career highs with 137 games, 27 homers and 79 RBIs.