JAYS SAVE PRICE FOR THE PLAYOFFS

BALTIMORE • The Blue Jays are saving David Price for the playoffs. And Price’s plan to pitch a simulated game to Troy Tulowitzki on Friday has been shelved because Price was suffering from a fever on Thursday and taking intravenous fluids.

With the Jays having clinched the American League East title, manager John Gibbons said it was “a no-brainer” for Price to skip his final regular-season start after pitching 220.1 innings in 32 starts.

The Jays don’t expect Price’s fever to linger, but to be safe they scrapped the plan to have him pitch a simulated game on Friday in Tampa to help Tulowitzki regain his timing against live pitching. A club source said the fever arose after Price caught a virus that had struck several teammates.

“We have a plan and I’m fine with it,” Price said after Thursday’s game.

Price will get his work in through simulated games and/ or bullpen sessions before he starts the opener of the Jays’ division series in Toronto next Thursday.

Had the Jays not clinched on Wednesday, Price was scheduled to take his regular turn on Thursday. He suggested, without identifying anyone, that someone from the club thought he might want to pitch again to solidify his bid for a Cy Young Award. He has an 18-5 record and 2.45 ERA (9-1, 2.30 with Toronto).

“They wanted me to throw just because of personal awards and I could care less about those, so it’s that point of the season where if you could get an extra couple of days, you’ll take it,” Price said.

Tulowitzki’s simulated game, which could set him up to return to the lineup Satur-

My job is to take care of these guys, make sure they’re ready

day, will still go ahead, using pitchers brought in from the club’s fall instructional league.

The Jay s rested their regulars in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader and Thursday’s matinee, both losses. Gibbons vigourously defended the move, even though the team is battling Kansas City for best record in the league and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Playing the regulars Thursday “would have been like no day off at all,” Gibbons said. “My job is to take care of these guys, make sure they’re ready to go when it counts, not what other people think. Yeah, we’d love to (secure best record), but I’ve got to do what’s best for these guys, not what some bozo out there in fantasy land thinks.

“They’ll all be in there (Friday) night. Nobody is shutting it down. We’ve got to keep these guys playing until the end, get them ready.”