Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton can look forward to an intensive, layered recovery from the left forearm injury that could keep him out for weeks, according to Dr. James Gladstone, Chief of Sports Medicine Service at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai.
Paxton’s Grade 1 left forearm flexor strain allowed Paxton to sideline between two to eight weeks, he said.
“In terms of the actual pregnancy and how fast it heals, it’s very individual,” said Gladstone, who has not treated Paxton but has extensive knowledge of the type of injury.
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Trying to throw it through could have been catastrophic.
“Especially for an athlete at such a level,” Gladstone said, “their mechanics are so essential to their performance. Anything that goes off is hard to overcome. It could be that he had a little trouble getting to, but then the tension really hit him in that fifth inning. “
Paxton suffered discomfort in his elbow and forearm during his start in a loss to the Rays on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. He went on the injured list Friday after an MRI revealed the injury. Shortstop Gleyber Torres (left hamstring strain, left quad-strain) and relief Luis Avilan (inflammation of the left shoulder) also went with ILxt over the IL.
The Yankees need Paxton healthy and look like a No. 2 behind ace Gerrit Cole. They were already without star Luis Severino, who needed Tommy John surgery in the spring training.
Paxton had to deal with other difficulties.
He tried to lie down to slow down. Last year, his fastball averaged 96 mph and peaked at 99. This season, it is around 92 mph.
Paxton also had a long recovery period from lower back surgery which cooled him for the entire spring training. Last season, he treated inflammation of the left knee.
Gladstone said flexor strains are not uncommon for pitchers and that they are sometimes associated with elbow problems, although he could not say for sure in Paxton’s case.
Healing could be slow.
“What you want to focus on is restoring muscle,” Gladstone said. ‘For the first few days, a maximum of five days, you let everything settle down. Also do a lot of icing. Many anti-inflammatory drugs are used to soothe things.
‘But now that the pain has been controlled, you work on the flexibility of the muscles and loosen everything, and then you go back to the reinforcing mechanics and the throwing program. Every step along the way you check how he does it. Sometimes when there is a little too much pain, you need to turn back a little and then pick up again. That you really individualize the treatment plan. ”
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