DENVER — Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price believes he’s ready to return from the injured list this weekend in Anaheim after throwing a simulated game at Coors Field on Tuesday.
Price threw 54 pitches to hitters Sandy Leon, Sam Travis, Marco Hernandez and Sam Travis in three simulated innings and tossed about 100 total pitches between the bullpen, warmups and live action. He appears likely to be activated soon, after spending about three weeks on the IL because a cyst was discovered on his left wrist.
“He looked good. He spun a few breaking balls, too, which is a great sign,” Manager Alex Cora said. “Let’s see how he reacts (Wednesday) and we’ll go from there. There’s a chance he’ll start over the weekend in Anaheim.”
The Red Sox considered bringing Price back in time to make a start in Denver against the Colorado Rockies but decided to take a more cautious approach. He appreciated being able to face hitters before returning to game action.
“Just getting up and down was the big thing,” Price said. “Throwing pitches, then going in the dugout then going back in the dugout and doing it again. Just facing hitters, to me, that was the biggest thing today.”
Price’s cyst was treated with a cortisone shot shortly after it was discovered. The lefty said the tightness he had felt in his last few starts before the cyst was discovered has largely subsided.
“It’s way better than what it was,” he said. “That was something different for me, so to get back to feeling a lot more normal is big.”
Price will rejoin a rotation that currently includes Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi and Brian Johnson. The Red Sox might start him on Saturday or Sunday against the Angels.
“We’re comfortable,” Cora said. “I just wanted to make sure he’s where he’s supposed to be. It seems that way.”
AS JACKIE Bradley Jr. was discussing his mammoth, 478-foot homer with reporters Tuesday night after a 10-6 win over the Colorado Rockies, his teammate, Mitch Moreland had a message for the media.
“Way longer than 478,” Moreland said, leaning into the scrum.
Moreland wasn’t the only one to think that, as pitcher Rick Porcello said he questioned the Statcast measurement and Bradley said he concurred with Moreland’s opinion.
Nevertheless, the homer will go down in the books as the longest by a Red Sox player since Statcast started keeping such data in 2015.
“I’ve never seen a ball go that far,” Porcello said. “That was incredible.”
With Boston leading the Rockies 1-0 in the second inning, rookie starter Rico Lopez left a first-pitch fastball over the heart of the plate and Bradley made him play. The thin air at Coors Field might have helped Bradley. So did the 112.1 mph exit velocity and 30-degree launch angle on the blast.
“Obviously, here the ball carries,” Cora said. “That was going to be a no-doubter anywhere. That was pretty impressive.”
Bradley said he can’t remember ever hitting a ball as far as the one he hit Tuesday.
The ball landed so high – in the third deck, just below the Rooftop area in right field – that NESN’s broadcast lost it in flight.
“I knew it was going to be a homer but I didn’t even look to see where it went,” Bradley said. “Felt good off the bat.”
NESN did capture the reactions of Bradley Jr.’s teammates, who seemed in awe of how far he hit Lopez’s pitch. Starters David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brian Johnson were seen celebrating in the dugout.
“I think the best part is seeing my teammates’ reactions,” Bradley said. “It’s funny seeing their expressions and how they reacted.”
It’s safe to say Bradley’s 87th career home run will go down as one of his most memorable. It ranked as the seventh-farthest in baseball this year.
“I knew I hit it well,” he said. “Like everything else, you need to have the trajectory to go along with it. You can hit it well, but if you hit a line drive, it doesn’t look as good. I think that one lined up to be pretty good all around.”
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