Left-hander David Price was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday by the Boston Red Sox because of a recurrence of the left elbow inflammation that sidelined him for three months earlier this year.
Price was scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Kansas City Royals – his first time on the Fenway mound since details of his confrontation with Hall of Famer and team broadcaster Dennis Eckersley last month came to light.
Instead, Rick Porcello got the start, working on regular rest after Thursday’s off day. Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz are scheduled to start the final two games of the series.
Price’s injury has short- and long-term ramifications. In his 11 starts this season, he has a 5-3 record and 3.82 ERA, and he was pitching extremely well until his start last Saturday. With Price following Chris Sale, Boston appeared poised to carry the American League’s best starting rotation into the postseason, should it get that far.
Boston recalled left-handed reliever Robby Scott from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Price’s spot on the roster.
DUSTIN PEDROIA, in a session with reporters prior to Friday’s game, addressed criticism that the Red Sox lack leadership in the clubhouse and denied he was one of the players who applauded David Price’s tirade against Dennis Eckersley during a team flight on June 29.
“Nothing is going to divide this team,” Pedroia said, according to Alex Reimer of WEEI.com. “For whatever people say from the outside: ‘we don’t have a leader.’ I’m standing right here. I’ve been here for a long time. We’re in first place. That’s it. Write what you guys want. Here I am. See anybody else standing here doing this? Do you? Nope. That’s a fact. There’s your source. From the mouth.”
Price hasn’t apologized to Eckersley for his outburst, but Pedroia said the pitcher plans to do so as soon as he has a chance to speak one-on-one with the Hall of Fame pitcher, who is in Cooperstown this weekend for this year’s induction ceremony. Eckersley wasn’t with the team for its West Coast trip that ended Wednesday.
“In this clubhouse we have two rules: (be) on time and be professional,” Pedroia said. “After that incident, obviously we talked about it. And that’s it. We’ve kind of moved on from that. I’m sure he’s going to have a conversation with Eck whenever he sees him – he hasn’t seen him since that. That’s it. All the other stuff is a distraction. We’re trying to play baseball and win ballgames. It was kind of an argument between two guys – two grown men – and he’s passionate about what he does. He’s emotional. That’s it.”
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