Welcome back to "Are You For Real?", a weekly column where we take starting pitchers who had surprisingly good starts over the past week and put them under the microscope to determine whether they're legit or just smoke and mirrors.It was something old and something new this week. First we'll take a look at Cleveland youngster Tanner Bibee's strong Sunday outing. Then, we'll take a deep dive into the return of James Paxton, who impressed with a nine-strikeout performance on Friday.Roster ...

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leaguesROSTERED IN: 14% of leaguesANALYSIS: I can't guarantee that Paxton will even stay healthy between now and the time you finish reading this sentence, but while he's healthy he's at least a little bit interesting. In his first start in a Major League uniform this year, he struck out nine Cardinals in five innings. That's an encouraging sign.https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1657188813158903809?s=20There is very little chance that Paxton turns out to be a great...

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton (hamstring) is set to make his season debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. The left-hander has been sidelined for the first six weeks of the season due to a left hamstring strain. He missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Before that, Paxton was a reliable option on the mound, but it's uncertain what he has left in the tank. He could be worth a look in deep leagues or AL-only formats, but he needs to stay ...

According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, starting pitcher James Paxton (hamstring) will join the team in Atlanta on Tuesday. Although he won't pitch immediately, his return to the rotation will likely occur soon after. The lefty has progressed to Triple-A Worcester for rehab work after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain in spring training. Unfortunately, injuries have been a theme for the 34-year-old, so he needs to stay healthy to have a chance of being a reliable fantasy asset.

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) made a minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Friday and allowed two runs on two hits while walking five and striking out four in five innings of work. It wasn't the sharpest outing, but it could be Paxton's final rehab appearance before making his 2023 debut for the Red Sox in the big leagues. Through five appearances (four starts) for Worcester during his rehab, the 34-year-old southpaw allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 16 hits (two...

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton (hamstring) will make at least one more rehab start with Triple-A Worcester. There was some hope that Paxton would jump back to the MLB with Garrett Whitlock (elbow) landing on the injured list. Despite that, Paxton is set to make another rehab start before hopefully join the team. The left-hander looked sharp during his minor league outing on Sunday. It doesn't sound like fantasy managers will have to wait much longer before Paxton is ready to ...

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) is making a minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Friday and will have at least one more minor-league rehab start after that. The 34-year-old southpaw was injured in his first spring training start and was forced to open the 2023 season on the injured list. He's made only six starts in the big leagues since 2020 due to injuries, and he gave up two hits and no runs while walking two and striking out ...

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher James Paxton (hamstring) pitched three strong innings in an extended spring training start in Fort Myers, Fla., on Tuesday, with his velocity hitting 95 mph. The veteran will work out in Fort Myers for the rest of the week and make his next start for a minor-league affiliate. Paxton suffered a right hamstring strain while making his first Grapefruit League outing at the beginning of March and will make at least two more starts before joining the Red Sox. The lefty...

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) threw two smooth simulated innings on Wednesday with his fastball sitting at 94-96 mph, and he will either pitch in Buffalo, N.Y., or Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday as he begins a minor-league rehab assignment. Paxton strained his right hamstring in his Grapefruit League debut at spring training and will be forced to open the 2023 season on the injured list. The good news is that Paxton's arm looks fully healthy after coming off Tommy John ...

Boston Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (hamstring) will throw live batting practice on Saturday as he starts from scratch after straining his hamstring in his Grapefruit League debut in camp. Opening Day is less than a week away, so there's no chance Paxton will be ready for that next Thursday, but he'll slowly build himself back up to be an option for Boston's rotation early in the season. Until the 34-year-old veteran southpaw is able to make his 2023 debut, Tanner Houck will stick in the ...