James Paxton needs Tommy John surgery

Tommy John surgery has been recommended for Seattle Mariners pitcher James Paxton, according to Jon Heyman on Twitter. Paxton was pulled Tuesday in the second inning of his season debut with what was described at the time as forearm soreness.

This is a big blow to the Mariners and to Paxton. The 32 year old left handed pitcher has had success when he’s been able to take the mound throughout his career, but has struggled to stay healthy, never having pitched more than 160.1 innings in a season. The Mariners originally drafted Paxton in 2010, and he was dealt to the New York Yankees after the 2018 season. An injury-marred 2020 campaign as he headed into free agency resulted in him signing a one year deal with the M’s for 2021.

If Paxton does undergo Tommy John surgery, he would be out the rest of the 2021 season and the early part of 2022.