A couple weeks ago, the Red Sox received a blow to their rotation when David Price was scratched from his start. At first, the conspiratorial wing of the fan base argued that he was just building his reputation as a “soft” player and avoiding the crowd at Fenway. In reality, Price had experienced renewed soreness in the elbow that kept him out of action through Spring Training and the first two months of the season.
The injury hurt, to be sure, but it hasn’t been a death knell for the Red Sox or the rotation. In a tight divisional race, a healthy David Price makes the difference between a good team and a great team.