James Paxton leaves Red Sox loss on Sunday with a right calf injury
Red Sox starter James Paxton left in the first inning of the series finale loss to the Astros on Sunday. After just throwing five pitches, Paxton told reporters he felt a “pop” in his calf.
The team announced the lefty was dealing with a right calf strain, but he will have an MRI on Monday.
"I felt like I got kicked in the calf, and then I kind of turned around and took another step, and I felt it again," Paxton said after Boston's 10-2 loss at Fenway Park. "I was like, 'Oh, it's not good. It's my calf.' I felt the pop."
Paxton’s injury occurred when he stepped awkwardly off the mound, attempting to cover first base. He went down to a knee on the field before Red Sox trainers ran onto the field.
"Yeah, it hurts. I was feeling really good," Paxton said. "I was really looking forward to helping this team go where they wanted to go. Hopefully, I can come back here at some point before the end. We haven't done any imaging yet, so we don't know what the severity is, so we'll see.”
Paxton has started just two games since being acquired from the Dodgers before the trade deadline.
"Tough one. He's been healthy all season, and then that happens," skipper Alex Cora said. "He felt it right away. So, we'll see."
If the injury is serious, it could put the rest of Paxton’s season in jeopardy.
“I mean, it hurts,” added Paxton. “So I don’t know. I have no idea. I never had a hurt calf, so I got nothing to compare it to. I just have to wait and see what the imaging says and how I bounce back from it. I’ll do whatever I can to take it back out there before the end.”
