Yankees News: James Paxton Exits vs. Twins with Knee Injury, Will Undergo MRI

New York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton left Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins with left knee soreness.

The Yankees announced that Paxton will undergo an MRI on Saturday.

Paxton left after the third inning and had been laboring a bit with two hits, three walks and one run (none earned) allowed over 64 pitches.

Following a rough start to the season in which he allowed 10 earned runs over his first three starts, Paxton had turned things around.

He gave up just three earned runs total over his next four outings, and at the time of his exit Friday, the veteran lefty had a 3.11 ERA on the year.

Paxton has never posted an ERA higher than 3.90 during his seven-year MLB career, but health has long been an issue.

His 28 games started last season with the Seattle Mariners were a career high, and he has a long list of injuries on his resume:

New York did not address its starting rotation in free agency, but it still made a big splash by acquiring Paxton in a trade with the Mariners for pitchers Justus Sheffield and Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.

Paxton has been especially important for the Yanks this season since ace Luis Severino has yet to pitch due to shoulder and lat injuries.

With Severino out, the Yankees have utilized a rotation consisting of Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, CC Sabathia and the surprising Domingo German.

If Paxton is forced to miss some time, the Yankees could insert Luis Cessa into the rotation, call up the previously struggling Chad Green from Triple-A or go with the "opener" approach made popular by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Even though New York has been ravaged by injuries this season to Severino, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar, Dellin Betances and others, it entered play Friday with a respectable 17-13 record.