Red Sox Update: Rick Porcello to start in place of the injured David Price
The Red Sox will have a new starting pitcher against the Kansas City Royals, tonight. Porcello will get the start against a red-hot Royals lineup.
Earlier today, the Boston Red Sox announced that David Price would be heading to the 10 Day DL with left elbow inflammation. The news came as a surprise to many Red Sox fans. Initially, there was confusion as Brian Johnson was scratched from his scheduled start in Pawtucket; however, it was later announced that Rick Porcello would be starting the series opener.
It appears that Johnson will not make his start in Pawtucket, rather giving him time to rest his ailing shoulder before presumably making the start on Tuesday, in place of Price. It is worth noting that Price would be eligible to start on Tuesday – if he was deemed healthy. However, it looks like Johnson will make that start.
The news that Price is experiencing elbow pain is disheartening for many Red Sox fans. Price had rattled off a few solid outings before heading to the disabled list. His velocity was back and he was beginning to control all of his pitches. The Red Sox required the lefty to have an MRI yesterday, in order to make sure everything is structurally sound.
For now, it appears that the Red Sox will allow Price a short amount of rest before returning to the rotation. A PRP injection may be a possibility – the same injection that Drew Pomeranz had. The recovery times are merely a few weeks.
If disaster were to strike and Price was deemed out for the season with a tear (most likely requiring Tommy John surgery), there are a few potential options that exist.
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The first option would be to look internally. Brian Johnson, Hector Velazquez (2-1, 4.08 ERA), and Doug Fister (0-5, 7.46 ERA) have all made starts for the Red Sox this season. Johnson and Velazquez have shown some progress in their limited outings, while Fister has been a nightmare. Presumably, Red Sox fans would inquire about Henry Owens who has been demoted to Double-A Portland. He most likely is not an option, due to his horrible control problems – 83 walks in 89.2 innings. A dark horse name to keep an eye on – Jalen Beeks. The lefty has been very solid this year in his time with Pawtucket and Portland.
Since the internal options are very underwhelming, Dombrowski may consider some outside options. Jeremy Hellickson, Marco Estrada, and Ervin Santana are all cheaper options that could be moved at the trade deadline. None of the mentioned pitchers would break the bank and all have experience in the American League. Sonny Gray, Justin Verlander, and Yu Darvish are all names that entice Red Sox fans, but the Sox are highly unlikely to unload assets for these players.
Not to mention that Darvish has a 10 team No-Trade list – and the Red Sox are on that list.
The trades are all speculation, as of course, nothing has been determined yet. Once Price’s MRI results are made known, the Red Sox will proceed from there. Brian Johnson is set to fill in for the injured lefty; however, there are other options available.
If Price is out for the season – be careful – Dealin’ Dave is on the loose.