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James Paxton is set to complete his long journey back to the big-league mound.
The veteran southpaw will make his Boston Red Sox debut in Friday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo. It will mark his first MLB start since April 6, 2021.
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SIGN UP HERE Paxton, 34, has made only six starts since the beginning of the 2020 season due to injuries. Back and arm issues limited him to only five starts with the New York Yankees in 2020, then he lasted only 1 1/3 innings in his first start of 2021 with the Seattle Mariners due to elbow discomfort. He missed the rest of that season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox signed Paxton to a one-year contract worth $ 10 million before the 2022 season. He was scheduled to join Boston's rotation sometime during the summer, but a torn lat sustained during his Tommy John rehab kept him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.
In November, Paxton exercised his $ 4 million player option for the 2023 season. He suffered a hamstring strain in his first spring training start with the club, landing him on the injured list and further delaying his Boston debut.
During his rehab stint with Triple-A Worcester, Paxton posted a 6.23 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP, 26 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 21 2/3 innings pitched (six games).
