James Paxton Leaves Third Start Since Dodgers-Red Sox Trade With Serious Injury

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher James Paxton was injured during just his third start with the Boston Red Sox. Paxton sustained a calf strain Sunday, and was seen limping off the field while holding his injured leg.

“I felt like I got kicked in the calf. Then, I kind of turned around, took another step and I felt it again,” Paxton said, via ESPN. “I was like: ‘It’s not good. It’s my calf.’ I felt it pop.”

This was the first calf injury of Paxton’s career, and the former Dodger is set to undergo an MRI to further evaluate his calf. Monday, he was placed on the 15-day injured list.

The 35-year-old veteran was traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox on July 26 in exchange for minor-league prospect Moises Bolivar. The trade came four days after Paxton was shockingly designated for assignment by the Dodgers to call up pitching prospect River Ryan.

Prior to the getting designated for assignment and later traded, Paxton was one of two Dodgers pitchers who had made every one of his starts. Paxton, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Dodgers in January, started 18 games for the Dodgers. In those starts, the left-hander was 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA and 64 strikeouts.

Since getting traded to the Red Sox for his second stint in Boston, Paxton is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA and nine strikeouts.

Paxton is in the middle of his 11th MLB season. The 2010 fourth-round pick spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Mariners, where he made his debut in Sept. 2013. He remained with the Mariners through 2018, and also played for the New York Yankees.

Ryan quickly justified the trade by getting off to a great start in his rookie season. The 25-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 18 strikeouts in four starts before sustaining a season-ending UCL injury in his latest appearance.

Paxton’s injury notwithstanding, the Dodgers have seen their rotation change plenty since he was traded.

The Dodgers acquired former Detroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty on July 30, sending catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney back to the Tigers. Flaherty has pitched in two games for the Dodgers so far, going 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA and 17 strikeouts.

The Dodgers are expected to welcome back Walker Buehler to their starting rotation on Wednesday. Buehler is 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA in eight major league starts this season, and 0-4 with a 4.98 ERA in nine minor league starts.

Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

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