There is some cause for concern today in Tampa concerning the status of Rays’ staff ace and 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner David Price. The star pitcher was forced to leave Wednesday’s game after just 2 1/3 innings due to soreness in his triceps muscle. Price had already given up four runs to the Boston Red Sox and went on to lose the game.
Price has now been placed on the 15-day disabled list and will miss his next 3 scheduled starts (at minimum). The hope is that his triceps will get better with rest and that it is just a minor muscle strain, and that is certainly possible, however any long-time baseball fan can tell you that these supposedly minor “muscle strains” can often turn out to be a lot worse when they come to pitchers.
Price has struggled so far this season, as he is 1-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 9 starts. Last season, Price went 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA in his Cy Young winning campaign.
The Rays have called up left-handed pitcher Alex Torres from AAA Durham to replace Price’s spot on the roster. Torres has racked up a 4.13 ERA and 296 Ks in 253 innings over the last three seasons in AAA. However he has also had control issues, with 160 walks in the same time.
There are also some reports that the Rays could call up Jake Ordozzi to start when Price’s spot in the rotation comes around. The highly sought after prospect who was acquired by the Rays in the off-season Jake Shields trade has a 3.83 ERA with AAA Durham this season.
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