Aug 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton (65) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox placed left-hander James Paxton on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain, one of several roster moves Monday.
The Red Sox also reinstated right-hander Brayan Bello from the paternity list, and he started Monday night’s home game against the Texas Rangers.
Additionally, Boston recalled first baseman Mickey Gasper, right-hander Chase Shugart and left-hander Bailey Horn from Triple-A Worcester. The team optioned left-hander Brennan Bernardino and right-hander Brad Keller to Worcester and designated second baseman Jamie Westbrook for assignment.
Boston also suspended All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran for two games without pay on Monday after he was heard using a homophobic slur toward a fan during Sunday’s game.
The Red Sox said they issued the suspension “in consultation with Major League Baseball,” and Duran’s salary from the two suspended games will be donated to PFLAG (Parents Federation and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
Duran, 27, will miss games against the visiting Texas Rangers on Monday and Tuesday.
Paxton, 35, underwent an MRI on Monday on his right calf because of a strain he suffered just five pitches into his start Sunday, which the Houston Astros won 10-2.
“He’s in pain,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday. “We’ll see what happens.”
Paxton limped off the field after advancing to cover first base on Yordan Alvarez’s groundout to first baseman Dominic Smith with two outs in the first inning. Alvarez beat Smith to the bag for an infield single.
Cora and a trainer visited Paxton, who limped to the dugout with the trainer’s help. Right-hander Lucas Sims replaced Paxton.
“It felt like I got kicked in the calf,” Paxton said after the game. “Then I turned around, took another step and felt it again, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s not good.'”
On July 26, Boston acquired Paxton, who will play for the Red Sox in 2023, and sent minor league infielder Moises Bolivar to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Overall, Paxton is 9-3 with a 4.40 ERA in 21 starts this season.
Paxton has a career record of 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA in 177 starts for the Seattle Mariners (2013-18, 2021), New York Yankees (2019-20), Red Sox (2023, 2024) and Dodgers (2024).
“I was feeling great,” said Paxton, who faced just three batters Sunday. “I was looking forward to helping this team get to where it wants to go. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get 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. It hurts.”
Bello, 25, entered Monday 10-5 this season with a 5.16 ERA, 41 walks and 109 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings over 21 starts.
Bernardino, 32, is 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA, 17 walks and 40 strikeouts in 40 innings over 43 games (two starts) this season.
Keller, 29, is 0-1 with one save, a 5.66 ERA, seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings over 10 relief appearances since signing with the Red Sox as a free agent on May 26.
Westbrook, 29, was hitting .150 (6-for-40) in 21 games this season.
Rookie Horn, 26, is 1-1 with a 6.39 ERA, six walks and 10 strikeouts in 12 2/2 innings over nine relief appearances for Boston this season.
Gasper, 28, and Shugart, 27, could be in condition to make their major league debuts.
–Field level media
