Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton limped off the field after injuring his right lower leg while quickly moving to cover first base on a grounder during the first inning on Sunday against Houston.
The Red Sox later announced that Paxton had a right calf strain.
“I felt like I got kicked in the calf. Then, I took another step and felt it again,” Paxton said after the Astros defeated the Red Sox 10-2, completing a three-game sweep. “I was like: ‘It’s not good. It’s my calf.’ I felt it pop.”
The 35-year-old Paxton quickly turned and was heading off the mound after Yordan Alvarez’s grounder to first baseman Dominic Smith. He looked back at the mound briefly, then went down to one knee and had trouble putting weight on his leg when he stood up.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a trainer came out to assist Paxton, who then limped to the dugout with the trainer’s help and slowly went down the steps to the clubhouse. Paxton was replaced by right-handed pitcher Lucas Sims after recording just two outs.
“I’ve never had a calf injury before, first time,” Paxton said. “It hurts. I was feeling really good. I was looking forward to helping this team go where they want to go. Hopefully, I can come back at some point before the end.”
Cora said Paxton will have more tests on Monday.
“He’ll get an MRI (Monday),” he said. “We’ll see where we’re at. Tough one. He’s been healthy the whole season.”
Alvarez was safe on the play since Smith couldn’t beat him to the bag.
Paxton made his third start since the Red Sox acquired him in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
