How James Paxton Assessed Injury After Early Exit Vs. Astros

BOSTON — Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton did not look or sound like someone who would return to the mound in short order.

Paxton, walking with a noticeable limp in the clubhouse after he needed to be helped off the field, said he felt a “pop” in his calf just five pitches into Sunday’s series finale against the Houston Astros. The Red Sox deemed it to be a right calf strain.

“I felt like I got kicked in the calf, and then I kind of turned around and took another step and I felt it again,” Paxton said after Boston’s 10-2 loss at Fenway Park. “I was like, ‘Oh, it’s not good. It’s my calf.’ I felt the pop.”

The injury occurred when Paxton stepped awkwardly in an attempt to leave the mound and run to cover first base. He went down to a knee and Red Sox trainers ran onto the field.

Paxton, who hasn’t had a calf injury before, said he will undergo imaging Monday morning.

“Yeah, it hurts. I was feeling really good,” Paxton said. “I was really looking forward to helping this team go where they wanted to go. Hopefully I can come back here at some point before the end. We haven’t done any imaging yet so we don’t know what the severity is so we’ll see. But yeah, it hurts.”

He added: “I’ll do whatever I can to get back out there again.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora praised Paxton entering Sunday’s contest. Paxton started two games for Boston after he was acquired before the MLB trade deadline. Cora picked up on Paxton’s strike-throwing with a 4.35 ERA during those 10-plus innings.

“Tough one. He’s been healthy all season, and then that happens,” Cora said. “He felt it right away. So, we’ll see.”

Cora said the Red Sox will have to “reset” before they begin their three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.