Just a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Yankees are already dealing with a significant rotation issue.
James Paxton underwent back surgery on Wednesday, the club announced.
According to the Yankees, the lefty's approximate timeline to return to major league action is three to four months.
That conservatively creates an early June scenario for Paxton's arrival in a Yankees rotation now fronted by Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million free agent contract in December.
After Cole, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ, the Yankees could have Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga and rookies Michael King and Deivi Garcia battling for the No. 5 starter's job in camp.
In the short term, Paxton's absence doesn't impact the Yankees status as AL favorites entering spring training, though it's a jarring start to a new season _ especially after establishing an MLB record in 2019 with 30 players on the injured list.
Paxton, 31, has made eight trips to the IL in the previous six MLB seasons, including one for lower back inflammation in 2018, while with the Seattle Mariners.
On Wednesday at Dallas, Paxton underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy with removal of a peridiscal cyst, according to the Yankees. The surgery was performed by Dr. Andrew Dossett.
And this is not the way Paxton wanted to enter his free-agent walk season, following a successful second-half performance in 2019.
After battling some inconsistency and a knee issue, Paxton became one of the Yankees most reliable starters _ going 10-0 with a 2.51 ERA in his last 11 regular-season starts.
Overall during his first season in the Bronx, the Canadian pitcher nicknamed "Big Maple" went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts.
Following the 2018 season, the Yankees obtained Paxton in a trade with Seattle that sent lefty pitcher Justus Sheffield and two minor leaguers to the Mariners.
