BALTIMORE — David Price definitely preferred to start rather than pitch out of the bullpen, but in an interview with the Washington Post, the Red Sox’ temporarily converted reliever emphasized his overall desire to do something rather than nothing.
“I’ll be able to help — maybe not as much as I would as a starter, I feel like, but that time of the season, I know how big that is, to have a guy who can [pitch in that role],” Price told the Post’s Dave Sheinin. “If we make it to October and I throw the ball extremely well coming out of the ‘pen, it doesn’t matter that I wasn’t a starter. I just want to help these guys win.”
Price looked excellent in a two-inning stint Sunday in Tampa Bay, using all four pitches and touching 96 mph on his fastball. But how Price feels physically still appears to be a touch-and-go matter.
He described his most recent injury to The Athletic as being mostly related to the triceps. Speaking to the Post, Price said he’s going through “a trial-and-error process.”
“I’ve always been a guy who hasn’t had [next-day] soreness,” he said. “I’ve never had problems with my arm. When I pitch, the next day, I feel like I can pitch that day. I’ve always told my managers that. When I see them the next day, I’m like, ‘I’m good.’ This is still a trial-and-error process, too. We don’t know how it’s going to respond, but when I woke up [Monday] morning I felt good.”
Price indicated he feels good about his ability to persevere.
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“I’ve dealt with it. I’ve gotten through it,” Price said. “Most people would’ve been at the house months ago. I didn’t pack it in. Does it feel good? No. [But] I still pitched. If people don’t appreciate that, or can’t, so be it.”