SHANNON DRAYER

Mariners’ James Paxton gets work in minor league game while battling head cold

Mar 25, 2017, 4:47 PM

PEORIA, Ariz. – The sight of the big leaguer on the lower fields is becoming familiar in Mariners camp as James Paxton became the third Mariner starter to play in a minor league game this spring.

Paxton faced a squad made up mostly of A-ball players from the Rangers organization Saturday, pitching in six innings, a couple of which were shortened due to pitch count. His final line: 5 1/3 innings, 10 hits, three runs, a walk, seven strikeouts and a home run.

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In an outing that was clearly about getting his work in – Scott Servais and Mel Stottlemyre did not watch it – he had the added challenge of pitching with the dreaded head cold that has sidelined a number of Mariners this week. In his morning meeting with the media, Servais said that Paxton would probably just throw three innings. Paxton felt good enough for six up/downs, however.

“I am definitely not 100 percent but I am getting over it,” Paxton said of his illness. “I felt like I was good enough to keep going and get to the pitch count that I needed to. We wanted to get that pitch count to where it is ready for the regular season.”

As is the case often when big leaguers face minor leaguers, the kids were swinging. The defense behind Paxton probably let a few balls get by for hits, as well. Paxton started slow but after the third inning looked like his secondary pitches were working better for him.

“My stuff feels like where it is supposed to be. I left a few pitches up over the middle but for the large part made a lot of good pitches,” he said. “Curveball is feeling really good, threw some good cutters. Fastball is coming along.”

Paxton is still feeling for his changeup, not a vital pitch for his repertoire but one he would like to be able to throw a handful of times in a game. It is the last pitch he has introduced into games this year and one he is still working on.

“Changeup, fighting a little bit, that’s my fourth pitch. I will continue on working on it and be able to use it in games,” he said.

Paxton will make one more Cactus League start, probably just for three innings as Servais will back off the starters to keep them fresh heading into the season. He then will most likely start game 3 in the season-opening series in Houston.

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