The return of Luis Severino on Wednesday should help Yankees immensely

MILWAUKEE — A Yankees rotation starting to find its way after being somewhat lost in the wilderness for a portion of the second half is due to get what should be a major boost the middle of next week.

Luis Severino, transferred to the 60-day injured list Aug. 1 against his wishes with the right lat strain that had sidelined him since July 14, made his third and final rehab appearance Thursday night, allowing two runs and four hits with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He threw 57 pitches.

Aaron Boone said Severino is slated to return to a big-league mound Wednesday night at the Stadium for the second game of a two-game series against the Pirates.

“Watched his outing this morning,” Boone said Friday afternoon before the Yankees opened a three-game series against the Brewers.  “I thought he looked really good.”

Severino, who came into the season with as many questions as any other member of the rotation — if not more — because of what had been a nightmarish previous three seasons of injuries that limited him to a total of seven games (three starts), had been mostly very good this year before landing on the IL with the lat injury.

Severino, who will be on a pitch count in the range of about 65 Wednesday, was 5-3 with a 3.45 ERA, striking out 95 and walking 25 in 88 innings.

“That’s Luis Severino,” Boone said of what the righty's return could mean for the rotation. “He was having an excellent year for us in his first full year back. Really excited to get him back because he can match up with a lot of other really good pitchers in the league.”

Severino was not pleased when the Yankees put him on the 60-day IL very much against his wishes. After throwing a simulated game on Aug. 24, he said he was frustrated at still being shelved when he felt he could contribute to the big-league club.

“Yeah. 100%,” he said.  “I still feel it was not necessary to be out that much time, but I can’t do anything about it. Just keep working hard. I know I’m going to be more than ready when it’s time to come off the IL.”

That time will be Wednesday, with Severino joining a rotation that, like the rest of the club, experienced its share of difficulties in the season’s second half but — like the rest of the club — has shown signs of righting the ship.

A look at the  numbers still shows one of the strongest rotations in the American League. Gerrit Cole, though plagued by the long ball all season (he’s allowed a team-high 27 homers in 177 1/3 innings), is 11-7 with a 3.30 ERA. Nestor Cortes, based on the numbers, has been the ace of the staff, going 10-4 with a 2.70 ERA. Jameson Taillon, though experiencing a rough stretch that actually started well before the All-Star break, is 13-4 with a 3.94 ERA. Domingo German, whose rotation spot Severino will be taking, has been good since a tough first outing, going 2-3 with a 3.21 ERA.

The worst of the bunch has been trade deadline acquisition Frankie Montas — who brought a 1-3 record and 5.94 ERA in seven starts as a Yankee into Friday night’s start against the Brewers — but the righthander isn’t going anywhere after being brought in to slot in as the No. 2 or No. 3 behind Cole. Additionally, even with some of his struggles as a Yankee, Montas (4-9) has a 3.89 overall ERA this season and outstanding career numbers against the Astros, a possible October opponent.

Regardless, Severino’s time has come.

“To get him back at this time,” Boone said, “is hopefully going to be something that’s big for us.”