FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox ace David Price says it’s still too early to tell when his ailing left elbow and forearm will heal enough for him to pitch in a game.
Price was told this week that he won’t need surgery or an injection. The team said he will be shut down for seven to 10 days, take anti-inflammatory medicine and be re-evaluated after that.
“I’m not going to put a timetable on it,” Price said Saturday. “If it doesn’t get better in a certain time period, it’s something we’re going to have to talk about again. I don’t think it will get to that point. We have a longer spring training this year (because of the World Baseball Classic). It kind of works in our favor. I’m very confident I’ll be back out there.”
“They already said seven to 10 days. If I’m not out there in 10 days, I’m sure that’s going to be the next story. If I’m out there in five days, that’ll be the next story, as well. There is no timetable. There is no seven to 10 days. Disregard that,” he said.
Price got the news on Friday, after meeting with noted orthopedists James Andrews and Neal ElAttrache in Indianapolis, where the doctors were taking part in the NFL Combine.
Price said he was very relieved by the diagnosis.
“They expected it to be a lot worse than what it was. That was both of them. They said it multiple times: ‘We expected this to be a lot worse than what it really is.’ … I don’t feel like that meeting could have went any better.”
It was welcome news for the Red Sox, who are counting on Price to be one of their big trio of starting pitchers, along with 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and left-hander Chris Sale.
“Anytime you have any of your guys with a sore elbow, even if you’re hopeful, it’s a relief when you hear that news, sure,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.
n Andrew McCutchen hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the third inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Red Sox 3-2 in a spring training game at Bradenton, Florida.
Chris Young hit a two-run homer for Boston.
GIANTS: First-base coach Jose Alguacil was taken to a hospital after being hit by a foul ball but said he felt fine after the accident.
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