James Paxton suffered a right calf strain in the first inning of his start today against the Astros, forcing the veteran left-hander from the mound. Paxton’s fifth pitch of the game got Yordan Alvarez to ground to first baseman Dominic Smith, but Paxton came up limping when leaving the mound to cover first base.
Speaking to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (links to X) and other media after the game, Paxton said he heard a popping sound in his leg. Paxton was using crutches to move around in the clubhouse, and he’ll get an MRI tomorrow to access the damage.
A trip to the 15-day injured list seems inevitable, and it is up in the air whether or not Paxton will even be able to pitch again in 2024. Even if the MRI reveals the relatively good news of “just” a lower-grade strain, such injuries can tend to linger. It is also possible the Red Sox could shut Paxton down for the season if the team falls out of the postseason race — today’s 10-2 loss dropped the Sox three games back of a wild card berth, and extended Boston’s losing streak to four games.
The calf strain is another disheartening turn in a career that has been marked by injuries, as Paxton was on pace to avoid the Major League injured list for the first time since 2013. He hasn’t dealt with calf issues in the past, though he missed time last year with a pair of right leg injuries, in the form of a hamstring strain and knee inflammation.
Paxton was with the Red Sox during that 2023 season, before signing a one-year, $7MM deal with the Dodgers last winter. Since Paxton stayed healthy and has made 21 starts (and thrown 100 1/3 innings) in total this season, he earned an extra $6MM in contract incentives, which the Dodgers already covered before he was dealt back to Boston in late July. The trade was seen as a bit of a surprise given how Los Angeles has been ravaged by rotation injuries this season, and Paxton had a respectable 4.43 ERA in his 89 1/3 innings as a Dodger. His Statcast numbers, however, were much less impressive, and today’s injury also underlines whatever concerns the Dodgers might’ve had about Paxton remaining healthy.
From Boston’s perspective, the Paxton trade brought a familiar face and some rotation depth back to Fenway Park, but it looks like the Red Sox might have to again scramble to add arms. Quinn Priester was acquired from the Pirates in another pre-deadline trade and could be called up from Triple-A, or Brad Keller could be stretched out to work in piggyback situation, or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener. Cooper Criswell will miss at least the rest of the next week due to a placement on the COVID-related injury list, while Nick Pivetta is expected to make his next turn in the rotation after his last start was skipped to provide extra rest.