Price will be going ‘live’
Gets simulated start Saturday
It might be time for the Red Sox to get enthused about David Price.
Price is scheduled to face hitters in simulated-game fashion during a throwing session off the mound at Fenway Park before Saturday’s 7:10 p.m. game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
It just so happens that Chris Sale is pitching that night for the Sox, so they’ll get to see both of their prized lefties throw on the same day.
After another rocky stint on the disabled list, Price is once again starting to get into a groove as he tries to recover from lingering issues in what he’s termed “a torn elbow” in his left arm.
“The last week, he’s gotten on the mound three times and has maintained the stuff,” manager John Farrell said before last night’s 6-1 win over the Blue Jays. “That’s what’s most encouraging. For the first (session) in New York to the two here, they’ve been very strong, very positive, now that he’s thrown his secondary pitches with good intensity, all positive trend.”
The Sox have not been tracking Price’s velocity, but “to the eye test, it’s very close” to normal, Farrell said.
Price will throw two simulated innings totaling about 30 pitches on Saturday.
If the Red Sox then decide to put Price on a five-day schedule, and it is assumed he would need at least two more simulated games before he’s ready to pitch in a game — an aggressive hypothetical schedule — he could return to the rotation as soon as Sept. 22 in Cincinnati against the Reds.
But the Red Sox aren’t quite ready to start marking dates on a calendar. There’s also the matter of who Price would replace in the rotation, if he’s even stretched out enough to start, given that the only starter who has struggled of late is Rick Porcello, last year’s Cy Young Award winner.
The Sox will wait to see how Price comes out of Saturday’s outing before setting any kind of schedule.
Said Farrell: “When you start to incorporate the up and down and maybe a little bit more intensity, just by the sheer fact that the hitters will be swinging the bat, there’s a competitive element that starts to kick in. We’ll see how he responds.”
Pedroia OK, in at DH
Dustin Pedroia dove to his right side, spun around and tried to push himself up with his left knee, but fell right back to the ground while making a play during the Sox’ 3-2 19th-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night.
He was removed after playing 10 innings, but even though his surgically repaired knee has caused him two trips to the disabled list this season, he said he is fine.
“He came out of it, actually, after 10 innings he was still in pretty good shape in terms of how his knee was holding up for the duration,” Farrell said.
Pedroia said his knee is “feeling all right, man. Still building up. So far, so good.”
He was back in the lineup last night, but with the rainy conditions, Eduardo Nunez played at second base with Pedroia batting second as the designated hitter. Hanley Ramirez was on the bench.
With the tarp covering the infield during some pregame rain and more precipitation falling during the game, Farrell said he was leery of putting Pedroia at risk on a wet field. Pedroia went 0-for-2 with a walk at DH before being lifted in the sixth inning with the Sox ahead, 5-1.
Rafael Devers was back in the lineup after being held out for two days following his first big league slump. Back to seventh in the order, he was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Sandy Leon did the catching for Doug Fister.
Foes fearing Benny
Andrew Benintendi drew his 64th walk of the season last night — the most by a Red Sox rookie since 1966, when George Scott (65) and Joe Foy (91) each had impressive debut seasons.
One theory why Benintendi is walking so much? Opposing pitchers don’t want to face him.
“I think it’s as much a reflection of the way teams are game-planning against us, because of the August he’s had,” Farrell said. “Let’s face it, we get who’s hot, who’s not and who are you going to pick to attack in tight situations. That might be more revealing that ‘don’t mess with him, go to the next guy.’ ”
Vazquez’ heart in PR
Christian Vazquez may have been out of the starting lineup last night, but he still had a lot on his mind.
His family in Puerto Rico is safe from Hurricane Irma, he said, but he’s thinking about them.
“They’re going to be fine,” he said of his family, which is riding out the storm in their house in the city of Bayamon. “It’s supposed to stay (over the island) through 1 o’clock tomorrow, like 18 hours.”
Still award-worthy
Porcello is having one of his worst seasons on the field, but he was honored for his work off the field in a pregame ceremony acknowledging him as Red Sox’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which celebrates sportsmanship and community involvement. Porcello donated $1 million to his high school alma mater, Seton Hall Prep, donated $20,000 to St. John’s University’s baseball and is a supporter of Team Joseph, a charity that helps find treatments and cures for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.