Yankees News: James Paxton's Forearm Injury Rehab Delayed After Setback

The New York Yankees are still hoping for James Paxton to return to the mound in 2020, but his chances of pitching are getting slimmer each day.

Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday the starter has not yet started throwing and had another setback with his forearm injury, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. Paxton was reportedly experiencing soreness in his arm.

The left-hander has been out since Aug. 20 due to a flexor strain after some rough performances on the mound. He had a 6.64 ERA in five starts that totaled 20.1 innings, only once advancing beyond the fifth inning.

Paxton had an encouraging effort in his final start against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing just one hit and three runs in five innings while striking out eight, but he was placed on the injured list the next day.

Early in the process, Boone said there was a "chance" he could return by the end of the regular season. The manager was less optimistic last week, saying it would be "challenging" for him to be back.

With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Yankees will likely focus on getting him back by the playoffs but even that could be a stretch.

When healthy, Paxton is a reliable pitcher who produced a 3.50 ERA in his first seven seasons in the majors. He had 186 strikeouts in 150.2 innings last season with New York, going 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA.

The Yankees rotation has been a bright spot this year behind Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka, but the team could still use more while trying to keep up with the Rays in the standings. The return of Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela and possibly Aaron Judge could go a long way toward helping New York reach expectations this year.