Paxton, whose Wednesday spring start against the Cubs was rescheduled, pitched in a three-inning simulated game to catcher Tom Murphy instead and looked sharp, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The veteran left-hander's start was rescheduled at his own request, as Paxton wanted additional time to refine his secondary pitches while creating more consistent direction and timing in the downhill portion of his delivery. Paxton noted he's specifically been trying to get his "explosion toward the plate" right and felt that he was able to improve on it the more he pitched to Murphy, with whom he's working on developing a rapport. Paxton anticipates he'll be ready to make his Cactus League debut early next week, potentially Monday against the Indians.