Mariners place Paxton on DL with left forearm strain

The Mariners have put starter James Paxton on the 10-day disabled list with a left forearm strain, the team announced. In a corresponding move, the Mariners recalled Evan Marshall from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Paxton on the roster.

Paxton’s injury popped up following his start on Tuesday against the Angels. He allowed two runs (one earned), walked six and struck out six in five innings, but did not factor into the decision after the Angels beat the Mariners, 6-4, in 11 innings.

Paxton had been one of the best pitchers in baseball to this point, as he was 3–0 with a 1.43 ERA with 45 strikeouts in six starts across 37 ²⁄₃ innings. He opened the season with 23 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest to start the season in Mariners history.

In his four previous seasons with Seattle, he was 18–15 with a 3.43 ERA with 253 strikeouts in 50 starts. During this time, he battled multiple injuries, including tightness in his forearm and an elbow contusion in 2016.

This injury hurts the Mariners big time, as Paxton is the third starter to do on the DL. Ace Feliz Hernandez had to be put on the 10-day DL on April 26 with right shoulder inflammation and Drew Smyly has been on the 60-day DL since April 4 with a flexor strain in his left elbow. Hernandez is expected to miss three to four weeks, while Smyly is expected to be sidelined for possibly another four weeks after being initially ruled out for six to eight weeks.