
The New York Yankees seemed to be healthy and ready to go for spring training on Wednesday morning, however, starting pitcher James Paxton has been ruled out for 3-4 months after undergoing surgery on a peridiscal cyst.
Earlier today, LHP James Paxton underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy with removal of a peridiscal cyst. The surgery was performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett in Dallas, Texas. His approximate timeline to return to Major League action is 3-4 months.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 5, 2020
Paxton had a solid 2019 campaign, finishing with a 3.82 ERA and emerging as one of the Yankees’ best starters in the postseason. Luckily, GM Brian Cashman invested heavily in Gerrit Cole to lead the starting pitching rotation, so the team should be able to weather the storm of losing their talented lefty.
Until Paxton returns, the rotation will look like this:
- Gerrit Cole
- Luis Severino
- Masahiro Tanaka
- J.A Happ
- Jordan Montgomery
Despite his loss, they have plenty of talent and potential to start the season off strong. The return of both Miguel Andujar and Giancarlo Stanton should increase run-support and soften the blow. A best-case scenario for Paxton would be an April return with May being the latest he can make it back to the field.