Seattle Mariners Rumors: James Paxton Ready To Return To Mound For Mariners
Seattle Mariners rumors indicate James Paxton is ready to make a return. These Mariners rumors come from Paxton himself, who spoke about how he feels after throwing a simulated game recently. A report from the News Tribune states that Paxton feels he is ready to begin his rehab assignment so that he can pitch for the Mariners again in the 2015 MLB season. He is also saying the right things when it comes to what coaches want to hear.
“It felt great. No pain on any pitches. I just wanted to get the ball down. Execute a few pitches and have no pain at all. Which is what I had. That was great.”
Paxton has been out since straining a tendon in his middle finger during a May 28 start. It put the Mariners in a really tough position, weakening an already thin starting rotation for the team. Now he is on the path to recovery, revealing that it has been a few weeks since he has had any discomfort in the hand. That’s great news.
In 10 starts this season, James Paxton has posted a 3.70 ERA and 1.303 WHIP over 58 1/3 innings. There were many Seattle Mariners rumors when he went out with the injury, many addressing how the team needed to trade for starting pitching. It didn’t happen, with the front office instead deciding to give Mike Montgomery an opportunity. Montgomery was very good for most of his starts, but the team had been counting on Paxton from the left side of the mound.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, it appeared as though the Paxton injury could be disastrous for the Mariners, and that is exactly how things turned out. The team slipped way down the standings in the American League, resting in last place in the AL West for a time. The blame doesn’t all fall on this injury, as the offense really disappeared at times this year, but it didn’t help that Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon couldn’t count on a stable starting rotation.
If everything goes well in his rehab assignment, including one or two starts with the Tacoma Rainiers, James Paxton should be pitching for the Mariners again by the second week of September. That should allow him a few starts before the regular season comes to an end, likely pleasing fantasy baseball owners that held on to him through the injury. Previous Seattle Mariners rumors indicate Mike Montgomery and Taijuan Walker have just about reached their pitch limits for the season, so the team needs a healthy Paxton to take some of those starts.
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