Report: Red Sox left-handed James Paxton to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday
Red Sox left-hander James Paxton will make his first rehab start on Thursday in the Florida Complex League, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Paxton is expected to pitch three innings when the FCL Red Sox take on the FCL Rays at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. The left-handed hurler hasn’t pitched in a game since April 6 of last season.
Paxton was a member of the Seattle Mariners at that time tore his left ulnar collateral ligament in the second inning of his start against the White Sox. He underwent season-ending Tommy John following the injury and has been out since.
Paxton inked a one-year, $10 million deal with a two-year club option. The deal could reach up to $35 million if the two club options are picked up.
Prior to the start of the season, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said he expected Paxton sometime in the second-half of the season.
“We do expect to see him sometime in the second half of the season if all goes well,” Bloom said. “We’re hopeful that when he does come back, he’s going to be able to give us a lift. We’ve seen before injuries really started to impact his career, this guy was one of the better left-handed pitchers in the American League. If he gets back to that, he could provide a huge boost for us in the second half.”
Paxton has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons. His final year in the Bronx was riddled with injuries. He had surgery at the start of the season to repair a herniated disk and remove a peridiscal cyst. Paxton also missed time a low-grade strain in his left forearm flexor.
Boston will hope that his injury past is behind him and when he returns he will be healthy to compete every fifth day. The tall lefty will hopefully regain the zip on his fastball following Tommy John surgery and be a sneaky pickup for Bloom and the Red Sox.
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