Just as the Boston Red Sox appeared to be turning a corner, their best pitcher is headed to the injured list.
The Red Sox on Monday announced left-handed pitcher David Price is being placed on the 10-day IL due to elbow tendinitis. Boston recalled right-handed pitcher Ryan Weber from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Price’s place on the roster.
Price has been one of few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing start to the season for the defending World Series champions. Price is just 1-2 in six starts but has a 3.75 ERA, and his 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings would be a career-best, almost two strikeouts better than his career average. Price has been especially good in his last four starts, allowing just seven earned runs in 24 innings.
Elbow issues are nothing new for the 33-year-old, who was limited to just 74 1/3 innings in 2017 due to recurring arm issues. He didn’t make his season debut until late May and eventually hit the injured list again in July with elbow inflammation. The elbow issue was so bad at the time that Price feared he might need Tommy John surgery. However, the reduced workload seemed to remedy the situation, as Price bounced back and threw 176 innings in 2018 and was outstanding on Boston’s run to the World Series.
Weber, 28, is a journeyman pitcher who appeared in two games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. He has 24 career big-league appearances, including eight starts. He was starting with the PawSox, going 1-1 with a 5.014 ERA through five starts.
