Paxton struggled in his last start but hasn't necessarily taken a step back in the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation with Nate Karns, who had a better outing Friday, the Seattle Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Paxton was awful in his start Thursday, failing to make it out of the third inning, allowing seven runs, six hits and three walks in two-plus innings. He struck out none and also hit a batter. Karns wasn't great Friday, but he did a much better job of getting out of jams and limiting damage. "When I lost the handle of my breaking stuff, I kind of lost it on my fastball," Paxton said. "I should have known that early, figured that out and gone mostly fastball-changeup, because that's what was feeling good." Manager Scott Servais said execution and in-game adjustments could be the "deciding factor" in choosing a fifth starter. "I still think it's relatively close," Servais said. "... It's still a competition. I know they feel it, which for me is a good thing. Competition usually brings out the best in people. And if I'm not mistaken, it gets really competitive on April 4 as well, so you need to be able to handle that stuff."