Mariners left-hander James Paxton has been on the disabled list since late May with a strained middle finger and it sounds like he’s not close to returning.
Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that Paxton has yet to begin a throwing program--which means he’d likely need lots of time to build back his arm strength and pitch count--and “even a best-case scenario suggests a return before August is optimistic.”
Paxton has had trouble staying off the disabled list since debuting for the Mariners in 2013, but the 26-year-old former top prospect has pitched well when healthy with a 3.05 ERA in 27 career starts.