Mariners: James Paxton lands on 10-day DL, fantasy impact

By Bill Pivetz | May 5, 2017

Apr 15, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton throws out a pitch against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

Mariners breakout pitcher James Paxton was off to a great start. Now, he’s the newest pitcher to land on the disabled list with a forearm strain.

The Seattle Mariners starting rotation hierarchy looks to be changing. Felix Hernandez is no longer the king and Hisashi Iwakuma isn’t taking that spot. Fourth-year starter James Paxton was on the road to becoming a top pitcher in the organization. I say was because he is the newest pitcher added to the disabled list.

Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune tweeted that he has a Grade 1 forearm strain and will likely miss at least two starts. Looking at previous forearm strains, he could be out for a month or possibly longer.

Paxton was a 19th round pick in ESPN leagues. After six starts, he was ranked No. 7 among starting pitchers. He had a 1.43 ERA, 0.982 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 3-0 record. Comparing the trends from last year to the first month of this season, Paxton was walking more batters but also striking out more.

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Paxton had a 1.52 FIP, which means that the numbers he put up were because of him and not the defense behind him. He didn’t allow a home run yet and struck out 45 batters. In a full season, he could have gotten close to a 200-strikeout season.

Now, with the likely month absence, he will miss about four starts. Paxton, if all goes well, should finish with about 155 strikeouts and 46 walks in an estimated 158 innings. He is someone I think is worth rostering if the injury is deemed short-term.

This injury adds to the Mariners’ struggles. Hernandez is also on the 10-day DL. Dutton gave an update that he will begin throwing in a couple of days. Iwakuma is listed day-to-day with a knee injury as he took a line drive off the leg. Recent acquisition Drew Smyly is on the 60-day DL and won’t return until sometime in June.

Iwakuma, Ariel Miranda, Yovani Gallardo and Chase De Jong are the four starters in the rotation. The pitcher for their May 7 game has yet to be determined. It will be either Christian Bergman or Dillon Overton, neither of which are worth adding.

If you need a replacement for Paxton, Andrew Triggs is still available in about 40 percent of leagues. He pitched seven shutout innings on April 29. Matt Cain isn’t going deep into games but he isn’t allowing a lot of runs either. He is owned in just 30 percent of leagues.

I already wrote about him, but Eduardo Rodriguez is worth a look. Twins prospect Jose Berrios could be called up soon so I would jump on that before it’s too late.

Next: Greg Bird lands on the DL

Paxton is owned in 94.3 percent of leagues. His injury affects a lot of owners. If you are one of them, you need to act fast because the replacement pool is drying up fast.

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