I wonder if they aren't figuring that with 44 games remaining, there's a reasonable likelihood they are going to need him at some point this season anyway. If Paddack is still out for a little while, the odds of making it through the rest of the season on just Lopez, Ober, SWR, Festa and Varland are pretty slim. Even if Paddack is back soon, there's still a pretty good likelihood they will need someone else. If there's a good chance they'll need him later, it makes sense to go ahead and bite the bullet now.