The potential loss of second starter Hisashi Iwakuma to a hand injury, at least early in the regular season, could bode well for Mariners promising left-hander James Paxton, who appeared to be on the outside looking in at a rotation spot entering spring training.
The 25-year-old Paxton might need more seasoning in the minor leagues, but he was brilliant in three starts at the end of 2013. He won all of them and yielded just 15 hits in 24 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA.