Nobody should believe Scott Boras’ James Paxton injury update

Scott Boras says former Yankees lefty James Paxton is just fine! Just fine. Just fine!

On the heels of a 2019 playoff run that featured the “Signature Yankee Moment” of stamping out the Astros in Game 5 of the ALCS, demanding the ball for a few more outs, and getting the job done with an exhaled scream, it felt like James Paxton was set to be in pinstripes for quite a while.

But the injury-prone Yankees starter backsliding in his second year?! Who could’ve predicted that?! Everyone who’s ever watched a Yankees game, I guess?

Paxton barely participated in the 2020 season, having offseason back surgery and struggling with flexor tendon troubles in his throwing arm, which somehow did not become a Tommy John situation … yet.

When he was on the mound, he struggled to the tune of a 6.64 ERA. And now, with a chance to get his client paid for the first time in the lefty’s career, Paxton’s agent Scott Boras wants you to know he’s completely back to normal.

As Boras told NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty, when asked about his client’s current status:

"“The truth of the matter was, his ability to be James Paxton, it just needed a few months more of rehab on his back and his strength,” Boras said. “Getting the velocity, getting the balance and being able to torque his back the way it was, just after the surgery, he just needed time. That’s all. We’re seeing him back to normal now in his throwing. You can really see the difference.”"

Yes, Boras Corp could really use the Yankees shooting a qualifying offer Paxton’s way right about now. That would help everybody out quite a bit. But we’re sorry — based on the myriad injury history and the unresolved arm problems that generally serve as a TJS precursor, we just can’t take Boras’ word for it that Paxton is back to his devastating 2019 form.

And man, we really do miss 2019 Paxton, who was routinely awesome until he had to throw a road game in the 2019 playoffs in Houston and went out with a bang (that means fastball).

At some point, the tide appears to have flipped, and Paxton might be a more likely returnee than Masahiro Tanaka at this point as the rising qualifying offer floats in the air.

But the Yanks better have some more evaluations up their sleeve before cutting the check, because Boras’ assessment ain’t cutting it, and Tommy John is basically the only major injury Paxton hasn’t suffered during his career. Worrisome, to say the least.

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