Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher David Price is nearing a return from a wrist injury after a successful bullpen session this week.
The Boston Red Sox rotation is a mess with their top two starters sitting on the shelf. One of their aces is almost certainly done for the year but the other may be nearing a return.
David Price threw an encouraging bullpen session on Tuesday, leaving him optimistic that he can rejoin the rotation soon. That return could come as early as Sunday during the team’s visit to San Diego, according to the Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams.
While manager Alex Cora will wait to see how Price rebounds the day after his bullpen session, all signs point to the lefty taking a successful step toward his return.
"“I felt good,” Price said after his bullpen session. “Better than I did 10 days ago. I’m just getting back in the motion of being on the mound and throwing all my pitches. I got up and down twice. I threw 40 pitches. Today was really good.”"
Price hasn’t taken the mound since getting lit up by the New York Yankees for seven earned runs in a start where he failed to escape the third inning on August 4. It was the third time in his last four appearances that he lasted fewer than five innings and he posted a brutal 10.58 ERA during that four-game stretch.
We later learned that Price had been dealing with a cyst on his wrist that impacted his delivery during his last few starts before he was finally forced to the injured list to address the problem.
Price was Boston’s most consistent starter prior to this rough patch, posting a 7-2 record and 3.16 ERA through his first 17 starts. He was on track for his best season in a Red Sox uniform. Now he’s currently on pace for the worst year of his career.
If the cyst really was to blame for this implosion, a healthy Price would be a significant upgrade to the Red Sox rotation. At the moment, Eduardo Rodriguez is the staff’s only reliable starter – or as reliable as any pitcher with a 4.10 ERA can be considered.
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Rick Porcello‘s 5.49 ERA ranks next to last among qualified American League starters. Nathan Eovaldi was shelled for five runs while lasting only two innings in his return to the rotation and he still hasn’t built up his pitch count to a starter’s workload. Brian Johnson is temporarily filling in at the back of the rotation but owns a 6.75 ERA since returning this month and hasn’t made it through four innings in any of his four appearances.
Rushing Price back without a rehab appearance would be risky. He may have some rust to shake off after missing three weeks. Then again, a rusty Price is still better than the alternatives Boston has been scraping together to fill out their rotation.
The Red Sox have yet to name a starter for Sunday’s game against the Padres, suggesting they may be holding the spot for Price’s potential return. Off days have allowed Boston to utilize a four-man rotation lately to mitigate their lack of depth.
If Price returns on Sunday, the Red Sox could cycle through their quartet of starters one more time before rosters expand in September. It will be easier to navigate a bullpen game with reinforcements on the way next month, allowing them to stick with the four-man rotation. Inserting Price in place of Johnson would be a significant upgrade.
We’re still waiting for the official word for the Red Sox regarding Price’s return but we shouldn’t have to wait long.