Aaron Boone Reveals James Paxton is Preparing to Throw Wednesday for First Time Since Back Surgery

The New York Yankees have been struck hard by injuries this offseason. The pitching staff in particular has taken a hit, with James Paxton being one of the first to drop when he had back surgery to remove a cyst and repair a herniated disk.

Paxton is not expected back for a few months, but manager Aaron Boone did provide a positive update on the pitcher's progress Tuesday -- he's due for some light throwing this week.

Sure, it's not a bullpen session or a simulated game, but this remains an encouraging update after Paxton underwent the surgery on Feb. 5. The worst thing that could have happened would be a setback before he even picked up a baseball.

Of course, Paxton still needs to go through the full recovery process before fans will allow themselves to get too optimistic.

The southpaw was traded to the Yankees from Seattle before the 2019 season and proceeded to post a 3.82 ERA in 150.2 innings. He had 186 strikeouts in his 29 starts. Paxton is a key piece to the rotation now that Luis Severino is out for the year, and the Yankees will surely hope that this positive update is the first of many to come.