The Boston Red Sox could only hope that the calf injury that sidelined pitcher James Paxton, one of their key trade deadline signings, was minor enough to allow him to make a comeback this season.
Now it seems that is “unlikely,” as manager Alex Cora himself put it. Paxton has been diagnosed with a partial tear of his right calf.
James Paxton has suffered a partial tear of his right calf. He knows he won’t be able to play very far in time, but he will do what he can
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) 13 August 2024
If Paxton’s season is over, it will be a bitter end to an impressive rebound season for the 35-year-old left-hander.
From 2016 to 2019, Paxton started at least 20 games each year, posting a 44-24 record with a 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+). In May 2018, Paxton became the first Canadian-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his home country.
In November 2018, Paxton was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the New York Yankees. In his only full season with the Yankees in 2019, he went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA and a career-high 29 starts.
Due to injuries, the “Big Maple” has only been able to start 67 times in the five seasons since then, including the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, in which he suffered a strain in his left hamstring.
Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
On January 29, Paxton signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. He was brought in as a backup pitcher. In his nearly four months with the club, Paxton made 18 starts and went 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA. He threw 89.1 innings and had 64 strikeouts with an incredible 48 walks. Los Angeles had a 14-4 record in the games he started.
Still, the Dodgers found themselves with a flood of pitchers returning from injuries in late July, including veterans Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw. Paxton was designated for assignment and traded to Boston a few days later for minor league shortstop Moises Bolivar.
More news: Dodgers lose another pitcher to Tommy John surgery
Paxton made just three appearances for Boston, going 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings. His most recent outing on Sunday against the Houston Astros was cut short after he faced just three batters before going into surgery with a calf injury.
The Red Sox are two games behind the Kansas City Royals for the third and final wild card spot in the AL race as of Tuesday. Paxton was part of a small but impactful round of transfers that also included catcher Danny Jansen and relievers Luis Garcia, Lucas Sims and Quinn Priester.
The Red Sox recently added Brayan Bello to their all-right-handed rotation that also includes Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford. Paxton’s injury has left the Red Sox younger and more right-handed, and they still regret trading veteran left-hander Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Vaughn Grissom in the offseason.
Sale has a 13-3 record and a 2.61 ERA (NL low) in 22 starts this year. Grissom, 23, has split the season between Triple-A and the majors, posting a .148 batting average in 23 games in Boston.
Now the Red Sox must continue in a heated Wild Card race without one of their top starters.
More news: MLB Power Rankings – Braves plummet as NL West teams rise
