Dodgers Won’t Push James Paxton on Short Rest This Season
The Dodgers’ addition of left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton has fallen a little bit under the radar, considering all the other moves the team made this offseason. However, Paxton gives them more depth in their rotation and another lefty to rely on.
The veteran spent last season with the Boston Red Sox, posting solid numbers in the first half of the season. He returned from Tommy John surgery to go 6-2 with an ERA of 3.34 over his first 13 starts.
However, once the calendar shifted to August, Paxton struggled. He went 1-3 with an ERA of 7.62 over six starts before he missed the last month of the year due to a right knee injury.
The Dodgers are hoping that Paxton can bounce back this season to give them another solid piece in the back part of their rotation.
One potential way to make sure that happens is to limit his pitching on short rest. Last season, he went 0-2 with an ERA of 9.39 on four days of rest. Compared to when he had at least five days of rest, Paxton put up a record of 7-3 with an ERA of 3.57.
With the loaded starting rotation that the front office has built this winter, Paxton won’t need to be pushed on short rest. He opened up about his struggles from last season, saying that he wasn’t conditioned to be pushed so hard by Boston.
“Early in the season, I had a lot of extra rest, and then we went to a shorter leash,” Paxton said. “Coming off a surgery and that much time off, I wasn’t conditioned for that. If you start off going [every five days] your body gets accustomed to that, whereas if you go six all the time, that’s what your body gets accustomed to. We’re creatures of habit.”
Per James Paxton via The LA Times
Assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness confirmed that the Dodgers likely wouldn’t have a need for Paxton to pitch on short rest. They understand his limitations and want to make sure he stays healthy throughout the season.
“It seems like when he gets that extra day, it really helps him,” McGuiness said of Paxton. “[The Red Sox] had to run him out there. They were in a pennant race, and he’s the type of guy who wants to go and help the team, so he’s not going to say no.”
Per Connor McGuiness via The LA Times
If Paxton can stay healthy, he could be a steal for the Dodgers.
He has good stuff on the mound, and working with the Dodgers pitching staff could work even more wonders for his production.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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