James Paxton looked good last week in his Red Sox debut.
Now, comes the hard part: Can Paxton build on that performance and become a mainstay in Boston's rotation?
It had been over two years since Paxton appeared in a game at the major league level, yet the 34-year-old left-hander dazzled against the Cardinals in his first start of 2023, striking out nine and averaging 96.3 mph with his fastball while limiting St. Louis to two runs over five innings.
On Friday, Paxton will take the ball for his second start with the Red Sox. And this time, the competition ramps up, as he'll face the star-studded Padres, who have performed below expectations this season but nevertheless boast an extremely talented lineup that includes old friend Xander Bogaerts.
This marks Bogaerts' first time facing the Red Sox since leaving Boston to sign with San Diego in Major League Baseball free agency this past offseason. It'll likely feel weird, as Bogaerts landed with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old out of Aruba and had many memorable moments in a Boston uniform. But it represents the next stage of the breakup, with both sides looking toward the future rather than the past.
Rob Refsnyder will play left field and bat third for Boston with left-hander Blake Snell toeing the rubber for San Diego. As a result, Masataka Yoshida will serve as the designated hitter, batting fifth, while Justin Turner grabs a glove and heads out to first base, hitting second.
It'll be a late one on the East Coast, as Friday night's first pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. But hey, it's the weekend. And NESN will have you covered throughout the night, beginning with an hour of pregame coverage at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Here are the complete lineups for Red Sox vs. Padres.
BOSTON RED SOX (24-20)
Alex Verdugo, RF
Justin Turner, 1B
Rob Refsnyder, LF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Masataka Yoshida, DH
Kiké Hernández, SS
Pablo Reyes, 2B
Jarren Duran, CF
Connor Wong, C
James Paxton, LHP (0-0, 3.60 ERA)
SAN DIEGO PADRES (20-24)
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Ha-Seong Kim, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Juan Soto, LF
Nelson Cruz, DH
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Brandon Dixon, 1B
Austin Nola, C
Adam Engel, CF
Blake Snell, LHP (1-5, 4.61 ERA)
