Sources: Dodgers deal Paxton back to Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox acquired left-hander James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, attempting to fortify their rotation as they chase a playoff spot in a wide-open American League landscape, sources told ESPN.

The deal for Paxton, 35, comes after Los Angeles designated him for assignment Monday. Paxton had thrown 89.1 innings of 4.43 ERA ball over 18 starts, helping stabilize an injury-riddled rotation as he’d done in 2023 with Boston.

Paxton’s return to the Red Sox, who he left to sign a one-year, $7 million free agent deal with Los Angeles, gives Boston seven potential starting pitchers, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski, who is currently pitching out of the bullpen.

The Red Sox’s surprising run — they’re one game back of Kansas City for the final AL wild-card spot — has left the team looking to improve on the margins. While Paxton’s acquisition by no means signals the Red Sox will add significantly before the July 30 trade deadline, it illustrates new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s desire to augment a group that has outplayed expectations and helped earn manager Alex Cora a three-year contract extension.

Starting pitching has been a particular target for Boston, even as the trade market was slow to move before Thursday’s deals that sent left-handed reliever A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners.

The acquisition of Paxton — whose expected numbers are far worse than his performance thus far — brings even more depth to a young rotation headlined by Houck, a first-time All-Star this season. Though Paxton’s 64-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio is among the worst in the big leagues, he was surprisingly effective nevertheless, and the Dodgers let Paxton go due to a roster crunch that saw starters Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw return this week.

The Dodgers expect right-handers Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller to come back from the injured list soon as well, leaving them with those four, plus rookies Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, Justin Wrobelski and River Ryan as potential starters. Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains on the IL with a shoulder injury and no firm return date.