Mariners' Paxton still dealing with soreness in injured finger
The latest update regarding Seattle Mariners lefty James Paxton doesn't sound especially promising regarding a potential quick return, though he is progressing slightly in his rehab efforts.
Though Paxton, dealing with a strained left middle finger, was initially pegged to be able to return in early August, that will not happen.
As MLB.com's Greg Johns updated over the weekend, Paxton is still dealing with enough soreness to keep his projected return up in the air. In fact, it's still unclear when he might be able to throw some bullpen sessions.
Said Paxton to Johns: "I'm just trying to stay positive. Obviously it's not fun to be hurt, but I'm just doing everything I can each day to get back as soon as possible and help myself be ready for when I am back."
Despite the slow pace of his rehab work, Paxton still feels relatively upbeat about his eventual return: "I'm throwing nice and easy right now at 75 feet, just kind of waiting it out at that distance until it feels completely better, then I'll start backing it up and go from there. There's just a little bit of soreness still, and that's what we're trying to get rid of so we can move forward. Once that happens, then we can start throwing harder and moving toward bullpens."
Paxton returning to the Mariners' rotation would help stabilize the starting staff, which recently welcomed Hisashi Iwakuma back into the fold.