Yankees get positive injury news on James Paxton
The Yankees finally got positive injury news from Aaron Boone on Saturday, as James Paxton could be back on the mound in May.
Yankees fans tuning in to their favorite team’s first game of Spring Training got an unexpected treat on Saturday. Manager Aaron Boone let the world know that James Paxton might be back on the mound in the Bronx sooner than anyone thought possible.
Original reports regarding the left hander’s injury expected him to miss three or four months of action after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his back. According to Boone, Paxton could begin a throwing program in just 10 days. That could allow him to return to the active roster as soon as May.
Clearly, an early return to the rotation from Paxton would be a huge boost for the Yankees. Team officials are still unsure what is plaguing Luis Severino at the moment. It’s entirely possible that he will miss the beginning of the season on the Injured List.
Domingo German will miss a significant chunk of time on the suspended list. He will miss 63 regular season games for the Yankees. His suspension, coupled with the injuries to Severino and Paxton, leaves Boone short of starting pitchers to begin the regular season.
Getting Paxton back in May would go a long way towards easing concerns about Severino’s comeback. The Canadian has the stuff to slot in just behind new signing Gerrit Cole at the top of the Yankees’ rotation. He struggled with injuries in his first season in New York, but he had some big moments for Boone’s club down the stretch in 2019.
Yankees should be very concerned about Luis Severino. dark. Next
It’s still very likely that the Yankees will exercise a ton of caution with Paxton. Fans shouldn’t be concerned if he doesn’t rejoin the active roster in May. The takeaway here is that he’s progressing ahead of schedule. That’s good news for an organization that has serious World Series aspirations this season. The Yankees want to make sure Paxton is ready to go in October. They won’t push him in May if it decreases the probability of him being a factor in the postseason.