James Paxton, whom the Sox signed to a one-year deal last December, is finally on his way and throwing hard. The 33-year-old lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021 and has been on the 60-Day Injured List since spring training. On Friday, he threw his second sim game in Fort Myers, and the radar gun clocked his top velocity at 95 mph. Alex Speier reported that Paxton threw “his entire pitch mix” during the sim.
While the velocity and facing live hitters are two encouraging updates, Paxton still has a ways to go before joining the big-league club. This was his second sim game this week, but he’ll have to make at least one rehab appearance before the club determines he’s ready to be back in the show.