'A difficult decision': Paxton DFA'd by Dodgers

James Paxton, a veteran starting pitcher who brought stability to a needy Los Angeles Dodgers rotation this season, was designated for assignment Monday.

It’s a rather surprising move for the Dodgers, who have a long list of starting pitchers on the injured list and have relied on Paxton to lead an inexperienced rotation. But the team will activate Tyler Glasnow on Wednesday and Clayton Kershaw on Thursday. Walker Buehler (on the injured list because of hip inflammation but mostly working through mechanical issues) and Bobby Miller (in the minor leagues and also trying to iron out his mechanics) are not considered far behind.

Paxton’s departure from the 40-man roster, which is currently full, created room for River Ryan, who started Monday’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers will have to clear another 40-man spot for Kershaw to start Thursday’s game.

Ryan allowed one unearned run over 5⅓ innings in his major league debut, as the Dodgers won 3-2. The 23-year-old right-hander, acquired from San Diego in a 2022 trade, gave up four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack are two more of the younger pitchers the Dodgers want to see more. Knack will start Tuesday night.

Paxton, 35, signed a one-year, $7 million contract over the offseason and has been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for. After limiting the Boston Red Sox to three runs in five-plus innings Sunday, Paxton improved to 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 89⅓ innings in 2024. He has been one of just two Dodgers — along with Gavin Stone — to not miss a turn through the rotation.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said with the return of Glasnow and Kershaw, it was tough finding a fit for Paxton the rest of the way, adding that “it was a difficult decision. He handled it like a pro. We feel good about the starting staff going forward.”

Paxton’s underlying metrics are not favorable; he has walked a National League-leading 48 batters while striking out just 64, and he ranks within the bottom 20% of the sport in expected ERA, chase percentage and hard-hit rate, among other stats. But given the overall need for starting pitching throughout the league and the short list of teams expected to trade away players before the July 30 trade deadline, the expectation is that the Dodgers will be able to find a trade partner for Paxton in the coming days. They’ll have seven days to do so, after which Paxton would be released.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.