BALTIMORE (AP) - Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price has elbow problems again, although this time he expects a rapid recovery.
Price was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with tendinitis in his pitching elbow. He was scheduled start to start on Tuesday night at Baltimore.
“It doesn’t feel right, so we’re going to get it knocked out,” Price said in the Boston clubhouse at Camden Yards.
The 33-year-old Price is 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA in six starts. He has allowed three runs or fewer in his last four appearances, but felt discomfort after allowing a six-inning stint against the White Sox on Thursday.
“It’s bothering me right now, so we’re going to take a little bit of time,” Price said. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before and it is nowhere near anything else I’ve had since I’ve been here.”
The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner with Tampa Bay, Price was slowed by elbow problems throughout 2017. He did not make his first start for Boston until May 29 due to a strained elbow and did not pitch for the Red Sox between July 22 and Sept. 17 because of elbow inflammation.
He was 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 11 starts and five relief appearances.
Last year, Price rebounded to go 16-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 30 starts to help Boston win the World Series.
Price figures it’s better to stop throwing now than to risk further pain.
“I have a very good understanding of my arm and this is the right move for us right now,” he said. “When you’ve done this for a long time and thrown a lot of pitches, you feel stuff in there all the time. It’s nothing new.”
Manager Alex Cora said, “You have to be careful with these guys. He says he doesn’t think it will take a long time, but at the same time you have to be careful.”
Cora said there’s no timetable for Price’s return, noting, “Obviously, the goal is get him back sooner rather than later, but we’ll be smart about it.”
Boston made the roster move retroactive to Friday. The Red Sox selected the contract of 28-year-old right-hander Ryan Weber from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Cora said right-hander Hector Velázquez will pitch in place of Price on Tuesday.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.