Purple Sox left-hander James Paxton tells reporters that he’s been identified with a partial tear of his proper calf muscle (X hyperlink by way of WEEI’s Rob Bradford). The veteran southpaw acknowledged that it may sideline him for the rest of the yr however will nonetheless attempt to rehab in an effort to make it again earlier than the season concludes.
The Sox positioned Paxton on the 15-day injured record with a calf pressure yesterday. The time period “pressure” itself, by definition, signifies there’s a diploma of stretching or tearing, so as we speak’s announcement isn’t a complete shock. That mentioned, the truth that he’s presumably going through an absence of six-plus weeks signifies that it’s a tear of some be aware — the most recent in an extended line of accidents which have plagued the gifted left-hander all through his large league profession.
Paxton, 35, spent the 2022-23 seasons in Boston. He missed all the ’22 marketing campaign attributable to Tommy John surgical procedure however returned in 2023 to pitch 96 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with extra promising strikeout and stroll charges. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $7MM take care of incentives that would take the contract as much as $13MM. He unlocked all of these incentives earlier than being designated for project and traded to the Purple Sox in return for minor league infielder Moises Bolivar.
The Sox hoped that Paxton would assist shore up an injury-depleted beginning rotation, however it’s now doable they’ll obtain solely three begins from him. Paxton notched a stable 4.09 ERA in his 11 innings following the commerce however exited his third and doubtlessly closing begin after recording simply two outs. He was Boston’s lone veterean acquisition previous to the commerce deadline, that means the Sox will once more be left to depend on the quartet of Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta, with scant depth behind the group. Righty Cooper Criswell has pitched properly however has little observe file and is presently out with Covid-19. Fellow righty Josh Winckowski has additionally made a handful of begins and will see additional motion down the stretch.
Paxton’s harm may open the door for younger Quinn Priester, whom the Sox acquired from the Pirates in alternate for infield prospect Nick Yorke. Priester, a former first-round choose and prime prospect, has but to determine himself as a persistently viable large league starter. He’s logged a 6.46 ERA in 94 2/3 large league innings up to now in his younger profession, however the 23-year-old has usually fared properly within the higher minors — an unpleasant two-game stint with the Sox’ Triple-A membership in Worcester however.
It’s a tenuous state of affairs in Boston — one that might blow up in notably unhealthy vogue had been one in all Houck, Crawford or Pivetta to go down with an harm of be aware. Boston traded Chris Sale to the Braves in a regrettable offseason swap that netted infielder Vaughn Grissom. He was “changed” by right-hander Lucas Giolito, who required season-ending inside brace surgical procedure earlier than the 2024 marketing campaign started. Righty Garrett Whitlock had his personal inside brace operation again in Could. Depth arms like Chris Murphy and Bryan Mata have additionally been non-factors this season attributable to harm.
Extra to return.
