The last few years have been a grind for Red Sox starter James Paxton.
He's totaled just six starts (21 2/3 innings) since the beginning of 2020 due to injuries, including Tommy John surgery and multiple setbacks, and hasn't appeared in a major league game since April 6, 2021. That all changes Friday night, though, when Paxton takes the ball for Boston's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park, his first start in a Red Sox uniform.
Connor Wong will catch Paxton, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners and two seasons with the New York Yankees before arriving in Boston. Paxton went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 2019, his most recent full season, and could provide an immediate boost to Boston's rotation, a unit that has struggled in 2023 despite the Red Sox's early success.
Rafael Devers returns to the Red Sox lineup, batting cleanup and playing third base. Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner will occupy the top three spots in Boston's order.
The Red Sox are coming off a five-game road trip through Philadelphia and Atlanta in which they went 3-2. They'll now embark upon a six-game homestand that includes matchups with the Cardinals and Seattle Mariners.
Friday night's first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NESN, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
BOSTON RED SOX (22-16)
Alex Verdugo, RF
Masataka Yoshida, LF
Justin Turner, DH
Rafael Devers, 3B
Jarren Duran, CF
Triston Casas, 1B
Kiké Hernández, SS
Enmanuel Valdez, 2B
Connor Wong, C
James Paxton, LHP (0-0, --- ERA)
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (13-25)
Tommy Edman, 2B
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
Willson Contreras, DH
Nolan Arenado, 3B
Juan Yepez, LF
Dylan Carlson, CF
Paul DeJong, SS
Lars Nootbaar, RF
Andrew Knizner, C
Adam Wainright, RHP (0-0, 7.20 ERA)
