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Return of Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon Boosts Yankees Rotation

Luis Severino was in a playful mood late Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The day had gone so well that he mused about pitching only in the sunshine. He felt so strong that he guessed he could throw his fastball 103 miles per hour. He was dressed for success, and he knew it.

“Today when I was walking in there, I saw that I really looked good in pinstripes,” Severino said, smiling. “So hopefully I can keep doing that for a long time.”

Severino had reason for optimism. The Yankees had just beaten the San Diego Padres — a team struggling to find the substance to match its style — in 10 brisk innings in the Bronx. After another victory on Sunday, 10-7, they stood with a 32-23 record, sturdy again after a sluggish start.

Relatively sturdy, anyway. The Yankees were hitting only .234 as a team before Sunday, which would be their worst average in a full season since Mickey Mantle’s farewell in 1968. They’re six and a half games out of first place, trailing Tampa Bay and second-place Baltimore, in the rugged American League East, which has no teams with losing records.

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