The one bright spot in an ugly start to the season for the Boston Red Sox's rotation is headed to the sidelines as David Price was placed on the injured list.
Price landed on the 10-day IL on Monday with left elbow tendinitis. The move is retroactive to May 3, the day after his most recent start.
Price told reporters on Monday he does not believe the issue is anything serious, though he declined to reveal how long his elbow has been bothering him.
"It doesn't feel right right now so we're going to get it knocked out," he said, via the Boston Globe.
The #RedSox today placed LHP David Price on the 10-day injured list with left elbow tendinitis, retroactive to May 3.
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) May 6, 2019
To fill Price’s spot, the club selected RHP Ryan Weber (#65) to the active major league roster from Triple-A Pawtucket. Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 40.
There had been no signs of any physical issues with the left-hander, who has taken the ball six times this season and is averaging six innings and 93 pitches per start.
Though he has only one win to show for it, Price has surrendered four runs or fewer in each of his starts, which qualifies him as the ace of this year's staff considering how bad the rest of the Boston's starters have been so far.
The ERAs of the other members of the season-opening rotation entering Monday's games: Rick Porcello (5.11), Chris Sale (5.25), Eduardo Rodriguez (5.40) and Nathan Eovaldi (6.00). Eovaldi was placed on the IL late last month after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
The Red Sox (17-18) called up Ryan Weber, who has a 5.04 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Pawtucket, to take Price's roster spot.
Manager Alex Cora said on Sunday he will start Josh Smith against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in the opener of a three-game series. Entering Sunday's game, the Red Sox had officially listed their starting pitchers for the entire Orioles series as "TBD", though Tuesday would have been Price's regular turn.
Price, 33, is in the fourth season of a seven-year, $217million deal with the Red Sox and will make $31m this year.
