Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that Paxton (elbow) exited his rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League due to a left lat strain, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Cora noted that the Red Sox won't know how serious Paxton's injury is until he's evaluated over the next couple of days, but the setback could be a season-ending one for the southpaw, who was making his first rehab appearance Thursday since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April. Because he's likely to require a multi-week buildup program coming off the major elbow surgery, Paxton wasn't on track to come off the 60-day injured list until September. Even if the lat strain proves to be minor, Paxton's return date will be pushed back to some extent, and it's certainly possible that he doesn't make it back to the Red Sox before the regular season ends Oct. 5.

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