Paxton to make rehab start, but decision day looms
Rotation could be disturbed
What are the Red Sox going to do with James Paxton?
That question has hung over the pitching staff ever since the 34-year-old lefty picked up his $4 million player option to remain with the club this past offseason. Paxton, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021, missed all of last season and suffered a hamstring injury early in spring training that delayed his progression.
All told, Paxton has barely pitched since 2019 and it’s anyone’s guess how effective he’ll be once he does finally return to the mound in the big leagues.
One way or the other, the Red Sox will have to make some kind of decision on him soon.
According to a Red Sox source, Paxton will make his next start in Triple-A, putting him in line to start Friday for the Worcester Red Sox. It will be his sixth rehab appearance with Worcester since April 9.
Under league rules rehab stints can last a maximum of 20 days for position players and 30 days for pitchers, so Paxton is eligible to remain on assignment until May 8.
Assuming he makes Friday’s start, Paxton’s next turn through the rotation wouldn’t come until after that date has passed.
Though it’s possible Paxton could be shut down again, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated over the weekend that Paxton is healthy and now the issue has to do more with getting his mechanics right. While his first four outings in Worcester mostly didn’t go well, he did show significant improvement last time out on Sunday, pitching five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and no walks along with eight strikeouts.
If we take Cora at his word, that leaves the Red Sox with a handful of options, all of which have their drawbacks.
One, Boston could activate Paxton next week and insert him into the rotation at someone else’s expense. If Paxton is effective then this would be ideal, but the risk is he might prove a downgrade from whoever he is replacing, and the Red Sox will have also disrupted that pitcher’s routine as well.
Two, Boston could shift back to a six-man rotation like it had briefly upon Brayan Bello’s return. The problem is that arrangement left the bullpen perilously short, and with two starting pitchers already working as long-relief options in Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski, the Red Sox likely don’t have the depth needed to pull it off.
Three, the Red Sox could option Brennan Bernardino and move Paxton to the bullpen as the second lefty. The downside here is Paxton has never pitched out of the bullpen in his MLB career, and when he came on as an opener earlier this month in Worcester it was a disaster.
Paxton himself said Monday he’d prefer to remain a starter if given the choice.
“It’s what I’m comfortable with,” he said. “I feel like I can contribute best as a starter.”
Lastly, if the Red Sox can’t find any suitable role and there are still concerns about his ability to pitch at the big league level, they may have to designate him for assignment.
Though potentially eating his $4 million salary wouldn’t be a dealbreaker, going this route would still cost the club potentially useful starting pitching depth. In all likelihood the Red Sox will do whatever they can to avoid this outcome, but either way the club has a tough choice ahead of them.
Casas looking for reset
Kiké Hernández and Triston Casas both returned to the Red Sox lineup Monday after a twogame absence. Hernández had been battling a sore ankle, but Casas is healthy and the club hoped to give him a couple of days to reset and start fresh amid an extended slump.
The rookie came into the week batting .133 with three home runs, eight RBI and a .285 on-base percentage through 25 games, all significantly lower than expected and even below his numbers last September after his initial MLB call-up. Cora acknowledged that Casas has been struggling but said the club is willing to be patient while the rookie adjusts to the big league level.
“It’s not that bad, he still has 16 walks, so that’s a positive and there are a lot of 3-2 at bats, it’s just about finishing the at-bats and not missing his pitch,” Cora said. “He’s fouling off too many pitches in the zone, pitches that he can drive, we’ve got to get him back driving the ball to left center, I think that’s important.”
Cora noted that Casas is also still playing good defense at first base, which was also the case for Dustin Pedroia in 2007 before he eventually took off in midMay after a similarly rocky start.
“He was hitting .180 but he made sure when he was playing second whoever was hitting was hitting .180 too,” Cora said of Pedroia. “That’s what you want from them because at one point talent is going to take over and you’re going to be fine.”
Aaron Judge to IL
The New York Yankees have already taken some big injury hits, and now they’ve suffered their biggest yet.
Monday the Yankees announced that reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hip strain and that former Red Sox outfielder Franchy Cordero is being called up to take his place.
Judge, who is batting .261 with six home runs and 14 RBI to start the year, suffered the injury sliding on the base paths this past Thursday. He now becomes the 13th Yankee player to go on the IL, joining fellow All-Stars Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodon, and leaves the club’s outfield dangerously depleted.
The injury comes at a dangerous time for New York, which entered the week having lost six of eight to fall into a tie for last in the AL East with Boston. Frustration was already mounting in the Bronx, and now the club will look to stay afloat until reinforcements begin to arrive.