Mariners starter James Paxton headed for season-ending surgery
Mariners starter James Paxton, who exited his season debut in the second inning last week with a left forearm strain, is headed toward season-ending surgery, manager Scott Servais confirmed Tuesday.
“Certainly very unfortunate,” Servais said on a video call with reporters pregame Tuesday from Baltimore. “Feel terrible for Pax having to deal with this one again, but if I know Pax, he will take the right attitude with it and go forward and try to make the best out of it and come back hopefully stronger than ever.”
The 32-year-old left-hander exited last week after throwing 24 pitches and underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning. He was placed on the 10-day injured list later that day.
A report from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman late last week suggested Paxton had Tommy John surgery recommended to him.
The Mariners said Paxton was seeking a second opinion on his MRI results Monday, ahead of Tuesday morning’s announcement that he would seek surgery. Servais said he did not have particulars on what surgery the left-hander will undergo.
Paxton, who reunited with the Mariners this offseason on a reported one-year, $8.5 million deal, was off to a quick start in his return to Seattle prior to the second inning.
He worked a quick, nine-pitch first inning against the White Sox, getting a weak infield fly from Adam Eaton on the first pitch of the game and back-to-back swinging strikeouts of Luis Robert and Jose Abreu.
He walked Yoan Moncada to open the second, but then got Yermin Mercedes to ground out to first. He left the game following a 92 mph fastball on his third pitch to Andrew Vaughn, when he appeared to grimace walking back to the mound.
“It just got worse and worse and just kind of felt it, and it got to a point where I wasn’t able to throw pitches,” Paxton said postgame.
Catcher Luis Torrens jogged over, the Mariners infield corralled around Paxton as he bent over and Servais and athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson hurried from the dugout.
Paxton appeared frustrated as he left the field with Torgerson moments later.
“I feel like for me it’s kind of been one thing after another,” Paxton said that night. “I work really hard and do everything that I can to be out there, and I’ll continue to do so, and hopefully I can catch a break and stay healthy for a good chunk of time in the future.”
With the veteran starter out for the season, the Mariners have turned to young left-hander Nick Margevicius to fill Paxton’s rotation spot. Seattle’s six-man rotation also includes ace Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Flexen, Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn.
Servais noted pregame Tuesday the impact of losing Paxton, who was entering his 11th professional season and ninth in the majors. The hope was Paxton would be a veteran anchor in the rotation, which now includes five starters who have pitched in fewer than 50 games in their big league careers, and two who were rookies a season ago.
“Certainly it’s a blow,” Servais said. “We were super excited when we resigned Pax because you’re adding at the top end. This is a guy who is a top-end starter, top-of-your-rotation type guy. Certainly nothing against our other guys, but they just don’t have the experience and the track record that Pax has accumulated over his time in the big leagues, so it’s disappointing we lose him.”
Servais said the Mariners will stick with the six-man rotation moving forward, and he still has confidence in the club’s pitching depth.
“We’ve got plenty of young guys that we feel good about,” he said. “A ton of opportunity here.”
LEWIS NEARING RETURN
Servais also offered an update on center fielder Kyle Lewis pregame Tuesday.
The reigning American League Rookie of the Year opened the season on the 10-day IL with a bone bruise in his right knee, but is nearing a return.
“I think it’s very realistic to expect Kyle Lewis to be in our lineup here at some point during the next homestand,” Servais said.
Lewis had four at-bats during a game at the club’s alternate site at T-Mobile Park on Monday, and while he hasn’t gone full speed testing his knee in the outfield yet, he is “moving in the right direction,” Servais said.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 12:14 PM.
