The Yankees are at .500 and Ivan Nova is a big reason why

11:01 PM ET

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are at .500 in large part because they traded Luis Severino’s terrible starts for Ivan Nova’s strong ones.

Nova, who is on the mound Wednesday night as the Yankees look for their seventh straight win, has started three games, which all were Yankees victories.

Another good start on Wednesday should cement his place in the Yankees’ rotation. With 20 games in 20 days, the Yankees are toying with adding a sixth starter at some point, according to Joe Girardi, which could mean Severino’s return from the DL might put him in the majors.

But Severino — who has his first rehab start Sunday after being placed on the DL with a triceps strain — had been awful, going 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA and pitching like one of the worst starters in baseball.

If the Yankees go for a sixth starter, they might move Richard Bleier, a 29-year-old lefty, to the 40-man and promote him for a shot over Severino. Bleier has a 2.57 ERA in five Triple-A starts, and Yankees officials have been impressed.

Meanwhile, Nova is 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his three starts, which has helped the Yankees rip off 14 wins out of …

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