James Paxton’s second stint with the Red Sox – and his season – is almost certainly over. Ahead of Friday evening’s series opener with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Red Sox transferred the veteran left-hander to the 60-day injured list.
Paxton, 35, only made three starts for the Red Sox after they acquired him from the Dodgers in late July. The last one ended after only five pitches; the southpaw could barely walk off the mound, and was later diagnosed with a partial tear of his right calf. On August 13, Alex Cora described him as “a long shot” to pitch again.
It’s a brutal blow for Paxton, who was enjoying a healthy season after several years of injuries and setbacks, and for the Red Sox, who’d finally added a left-hander to their starting rotation, only to lose him almost as quickly.
Additionally, the Red Sox selected left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez from Triple-A – to help with the Diamondbacks’ lefty-heavy lineup – and optioned right-hander Greg Weissert.
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