James Paxton received a second chance this season when the Boston Red Sox traded back for him from the Los Angeles Dodgers days prior to the trade deadline. Paxton's familiarity with the Red Sox was seen as a positive as the team looks to him to make a positive impact in the looming stretch run. However, all-too-familiar injury woes are slowing Paxton's roll in Beantown, as the Red Sox recently placed the 35-year-old lefty on the 15-day injured list due to a calf injury.
Paxton injured his calf during the Red Sox's 10-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday night; he lasted just 0.2 innings after he needed to limp off the field after trying to cover first base. The veteran southpaw underwent an MRI on Monday and Paxton himself thought that his injury was “pretty bad”, per ESPN.
The prognosis from Red Sox manager Alex Cora wasn't that much better. Cora said that James Paxton is “in pain” and that they'll be waiting to see what happens as the 35-year-old spends some time on the IL.
Paxton's trip to the IL comes at a less-than-ideal time for the Red Sox. They also have another starter that's currently on the mend in Cooper Criswell, and he may not be healed yet in time for his first day of eligibility to return from the seven-day COVID-19 injured list.
With both Paxton and Criswell out, Boston may have to turn to Josh Winckowski for some starts for the time being. Winckowski has made six starts for the team this season, and it figures that he'll have the first crack at being the fifth man in the rotation as the two injured starters recuperate.
For the meantime, the Red Sox are banking on Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta to start in their next three games.
James Paxton's injury is less-than-ideal for the Red Sox
The Red Sox brought James Paxton in to soak up some innings, so losing him to injury is certainly frustrating. Paxton's peripherals have declined considerably, with his strikeout to walk ratio sitting at a disappointing 73:50, thanks in large part to a near two-mile per hour decline in his average fastball velocity.
The last thing Paxton needed was an injury that could sap him even further of his ability to deliver some good stuff towards the plate. It's unclear just how much his calf injury will impact his performance moving forward, but given his long injury history, this latest setback is not good at all for his future prospects.
In 2023, Paxton began the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, so he already has a history of soft-muscle injury in his lower body. These are some of the trickiest injuries to deal with, as they are prone to aggravation and need extensive care to avoid risk of further harm.
The Red Sox will be hoping, however, that Paxton eventually returns to the mound this season. They are currently two games back of the Kansas City Royals for the third wild card spot in the AL, so they will need all hands on deck to mount a threat for a spot in the postseason.
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