Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that Paxton (back) is expected to be fully recovered from his microscopic lumbar discectomy by "mid-May."
Paxton had already been making rapid progress during spring training after requiring the procedure in early February to remove a peridiscal cyst, and MLB's ongoing hiatus has only provided more time for him to heal up without having to miss any game action. After checking out fine following five bullpen sessions, Paxton was cleared to pitch a simulated game Monday, which likely marks one of the final checkpoints he'll need to clear in the recovery process. He should be a part of the Yankees' Opening Day rotation and face no workload restrictions whenever the season resumes.