David Price Activated From DL, Will Pitch Out Of Boston Bullpen
BOSTON (CBS) -- David Price is off of the disabled list and heading to the Boston bullpen.
The Red Sox activated the 32-year-old lefty on Thursday after a seven-week stay on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation. He threw a three-inning simulated game at Fenway Park on Wednesday, and Boston manager John Farrell hopes to have Price available out of the bullpen on Sunday or Monday.
He'll likely pitch just an inning in his first outings as he builds up strength, with the hope that Price can give Boston two or three innings by the end of the season. Though he's had his struggles in the playoffs, if he's right, Price could become a valuable asset for the Red Sox when the postseason rolls around.
"We'll see how that develops over these final two and a half weeks," Farrell said on Thursday. "I think there will be some spots that emerge naturally. One thing he's shown in these two work sessions is a full assortment of pitches and good power to his fastball. From a physical standpoint, I think he's passed the tests to put him in this position. I look forward to getting him back in game activity.
"He wants to get back and pitch. He wants to get back and compete," added Farrell.
Price started the season on the disabled list with elbow soreness but avoided Tommy John surgery with rest. He returned to the rotation at the end of May and is 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 starts this season, his second with the Red Sox.
He is 2-8 with a 5.54 ERA in 15 postseason games over his career, picking up those two wins as a reliever. Price was a dominant reliever for the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 postseason, allowing just one earned run over 5.2 innings while going 1-0 with a save as the Rays went to the World Series. He last pitched out of the bullpen in the 2015 ALDS for the Toronto Blue Jays, picking up a win despite allowing three runs in three innings of work.
