TAMPA, Fla. _ It's far too soon to say James Paxton is ahead of schedule.
But what can be accurately said about the left-hander, who had back surgery Feb. 5, is that he has experienced no setbacks in his rehab. If that continues to be the case, he is on target to return as early as May.
"Everything's been going really well," Paxton said Saturday. "(The back) has responded really well to all of the therapy (and) so far the workouts and stuff. I think as long as you keep on going in that direction, I could be throwing in 10 days."
After the surgery, Paxton was told he could begin playing catch in four to six weeks. If he begins doing that in 10 days, that would be closer to the four-week timeline.
"Everything's been going really well," said Paxton, who went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in his first season in pinstripes. "I'm optimistic."
