Price takes mound today
PAWTUCKET – Stats-wise, David Price has nowhere to go but up as the lefthander prepares for his second rehab start with the PawSox on Wednesday night.
“It wasn’t ideal what happened. Obviously the first hitter wound up with a
15-pitch at-bat. That ran up his pitch count and forced him to work significantly harder,” said manager Kevin Boles, harking back to last Friday when Price was lifted after two innings and 65 pitches (41 for strikes) against Buffalo.
The health of Price – perhaps the chief worry when talking about someone who’s been sidelined with a left elbow strain that forced the Red Sox to shut him down in late February – was the most impressive and noteworthy development from last Friday. The fact Price is on track to make his next scheduled turn is also an encouraging sign.
“The way he checked out afterwards, he said he felt great,” Boles said. “Physically, all the signs were positive.”
Boles noted that Price’s fastball velocity at Buffalo ranged from 93 to 94 miles per hour and topped out at 95.
“The velocity was there,” Boles said.
The goal against Louisville on Wednesday is to make sure Price becomes reacquainted with getting up and down several times throughout the course of his outing. Price is scheduled to throw 85-90 pitches.
“He’ll probably admit that there’s nothing like being in game situations. You can try to simulate all you want in the cage, but when you’re competing in a game, there’s definitely some different juices that are flowing,” Boles said. “We’re just hoping to get him through (Wednesday) and see where we’re at after that.”
Pawtucket (16-24) has now dropped 11 of 12 after Tuesday night’s 7-4 loss to Louisville before 4,328 fans at McCoy. The Bats (16-28) got off to a fast start as Jesse Winker blasted a tworun home run in the first inning. The Louisville right-fielder finished 4-for-5.
Shawn Haviland took the loss, his fourth, after allowing four runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. Rusney Castillo exited the game after getting hit by a pitch in the second inning. He was replaced in lineup by Allen Craig, who collected a two-run double in the eighth inning.
Blake Swihart (left finger contusion) is rehabbing in Fort Myers. The switch-hitting catcher is expected to appear in a couple of extended spring training games – one of the games as a catcher and another as the DH – before seeing if he’s ready to be activated off the disabled list.
“We’ve just got to make sure that we get the timing back and see how he holds up physically,” Boles said. “The last step is getting him through some games and see how that finger reacts.”
Swihart left for Florida on Sunday. He made noticeable gains during Pawtucket’s recent seven-game road trip through Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Buffalo, particularly when it came to swinging a bat.
EXTRA BASES: After Price on Wednesday, the PawSox are scheduled to send Kyle Kendrick (1-3, 7.50) to the hill for Thursday’s 11 a.m. start. Brian Johnson is in line to start Friday against Durham, though reports out of Boston suggest the lefty might be starting for the Red Sox that same night against Seattle. Henry Owens (3-3, 3.19) is in line to start Saturday … To make room for Sam Travis on the active roster, the Red Sox optioned pitcher Hector Velazquez to Pawtucket. Velazquez made his majorleague debut with a start last Thursday at Oakland, allowing six earned runs over five innings. Velazquez still needs to be added to the PawSox roster. The team is at the limit after adding reliever Noe Ramirez on Tuesday.