Can James Paxton stay healthy and be a contributor for the Red Sox this season?

The Jared Carrabis Podcast discussed a player who Red Sox fans are certainly split on heading into the 2023 campaign: James Paxton.

Paxton has not pitched in an MLB game since April 6, 2021, when he exited the contest with forearm pain and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery.

Boston manager Alex Cora expressed excitement about Paxton’s return earlier this week, and fans finally got to see him take the mound on Friday.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, Paxton’s return to action was cut short. After a solid 1-2-3 first inning, the veteran pitcher was forced to exit in the second after straining his hamstring. This obviously isn’t the result fans were hoping for, although seeing him produce on the mound was certainly an encouraging development.

Jared expressed confidence in Paxton’s ability to improve as the season goes on. He is hitting 93-95 mph on his fastball right now, and Carrabis believes that he’ll ramp that up as long as he stays healthy, which is obviously no guarantee.

The rest of the crew discussed the potential that Paxton had to earn more money on a long-term deal elsewhere this offseason, before he ultimately opted into with Red Sox. They agreed that Paxton might feel like he owes the Sox for paying during his rehab and getting him back to where he needs to be.

Expectations vary amongst the Boston fanbase, but Jared believes Paxton will finish top-3 on the team in innings pitched this year.

FULL SHOW DESCRIPTION

Tyler has a show for the ages as he puts on an inspiring performance in audio/video production excellence. Any aspiring producer should listen to this episode to take your production skills to the next level. Red Sox spring training is here! Today we’re getting a vibe check from Jared who’s been down in Fort Myers for the last week watching the Red Sox kick off spring training games. We’re talking pitch clock, wine and paint night with Kiké, young guys impressing early, and breaking down what we’ve seen so far in the first week of exhibition games. Jared had a run in with his old buddy Pete Abe at JetBlue park and you’ll never believe where it happened. We’re also interpreting quotes from Cora talking about Paxton catching his attention, and Yoshida being a cleanup hitter instead of leading off. We’ve had positive vibes from the jump, but we’re starting to notice other members of Boston sports media beginning to come around on this team and not counting them out. We love to see it.

Watch the full episode below!

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Check out the Jared Carrabis Podcast on the DraftKings Youtube Channel and the official Jared Carrabis Youtube Channel. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Follow the show on Twitter @carrabispod.

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