New York Yankees: Aaron Boone names James Paxton number two starter

New York Yankees, James Paxton
Oct 18, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton (65) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning of game five of the 2019 ALCS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday afternoon New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that left-hander James Paxton will take the hill for the team’s second game of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on the road against the World Series-champion Washington Nationals on July 25.

Paxton underwent back surgery in March but has been pitching in intrasquad games held at Yankee Stadium as part of MLB’s summer camp.

Paxton is entering his second season with the Yankees. Last season he posted a 3.82 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and 186 strikeouts across 29 starts (150.2 innings). Paxton made three starts for the Yankees in the 2019 postseason, posting a 3.46 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP and 20 strikeouts across 13.0 innings.

New York acquired Paxton from the Seattle Mariners in November 2018 for left-hander Justus Sheffield, right-hander Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.

Gerrit Cole, who the Yankees signed to a nine-year, $324 million deal in the offseason, is expected to take the hill on Opening Day. The Yankees open the 60-game season on the road against the Nationals on July 23.

After Cole and Paxton will be a combination of Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, Jordan Montgomery and Jonathan Loaisiga. Tanaka is recovering from a head injury suffered by means of a line drive off the bat of Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in an intrasquad match last week.

Montgomery made 29 starts for the Yankees in 2017 under former manager Joe Girardi and seven since; Loaisiga has made eight career MLB starts.

Boone went with a bullpen day at various points of last season.

Luis Severino, who made 63 starts for the Yankees from 2017-18, made just three regular season starts in 2019 due to a shoulder injury and will be off the mound this season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

The Yankees have three players away from the team after testing positive for COVID-19: infielder DJ LeMahieu, right-hander Luis Cessa and closer Aroldis Chapman.