James Paxton leaves start in second inning with hamstring injury
BOSTON -- James Paxton returned to the mound on Friday. It was brief.
The veteran left-hander was making his first start of the spring but left in the second inning due to a hamstring issue.
James Paxton exits in the second. pic.twitter.com/a8lnZmrrpe
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) March 3, 2023
"Hamstring just grabbed on me a little bit," Paxton explained after his outing. "Hamstring just grabbed. So we'll see what we got. We don't really know yet. But we'll see how I come in feeling tomorrow, and just go from there."
James Paxton says he tweaked his hamstring pic.twitter.com/tWUrXWvmlV
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) March 3, 2023
Paxton had retired all five Twins batters that he had faced prior to being removed from the game, striking out Carlos Correa in the bottom of the first inning. But considering the long road that Paxton has already traveled in his recovery, the Red Sox clearly didn't want to take any chances with the leg issue.
Paxton, 34, hasn't pitched in a major league game since April of 2021, when he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He signed with the Red Sox last offseason and began his rehab work with the FCL Red Sox last August, but suffered a torn lat in the first inning of his only appearance.
Paxton made just five appearances in the 2020 season, so he's pitched just six times in the big leagues since the 2019 season.