Red Sox’s James Paxton plans to retire after season

James Paxton still is holding out hope that he can recover from injury and pitch for the Boston Red Sox this season.

But if he doesn’t, the veteran left-hander said he plans to retire once the season ends.

“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the postseason and I can get the opportunity to pitch again,” the veteran left-hander said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast with host Rob Bradford on Wednesday. “But I think after this season [I’m] going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter.

“It was tough. Obviously, I think that I can still do it. I can still go out there and compete and help a team win. But I just think with where my family’s at and what they need right now, they need me home, and I feel a duty and a responsibility to be at home with my family. And I’m looking forward to being at home with my family and spending more time with them, too.”

The Red Sox acquired Paxton, 35, in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, but three starts into his stint in Boston, he strained his right calf, following a quick move trying to cover first base and has been on the injured list since.

Paxton, though, said his decision to retire is something that he had discussed with his family throughout the whole season.

“A bit of a slow burn. But it’s where we ended up,” he told Bradford.

In 11 seasons spent with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Red Sox (twice) and Dodgers, Paxton is 73-41 with a 3.77 ERA.

He’s had a checkered injury history, making only six starts from 2020 to 2022 after undergoing a procedure to repair a herniated disk and remove a cyst from his back, as well as Tommy John surgery. He dealt with knee inflammation late last season.