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David Price Makes Spring Training Debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Introduction

David Price Makes Spring Training Debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers

The recently acquired David Price pitched his spring training debut for his new team in the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was sent to the LA Dodgers by the Boston Red Sox along with Mookie Betts in a blockbuster trade over the Major League Baseball offseason last month.

The Game

Price did not look particularly great as he pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Dodgers while giving up two runs on three hits in a 6 to 2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He totaled three strikeouts as well as two walks in this effort. He was able to reach 91 miles per hour with his heater, but the downfall of his first start of the 2020 MLB preseason was giving up a two run single to Jesse Winker in the first inning of this game.

The Surgery

Last season, Price required surgery to remove a problematic cyst that ultimately limited the starting pitcher to 4 2/3 innings throughout August and September. He finished the year with a 4.28 earned run average over his 22 starts for the Boston Red Sox.

His Reaction along with the Reaction of his Manager

Although David Price did not look all that great in this spring training performance, he was highly encouraged by the way he pitched in this exhibition game. Remember these games do not mean anything, and pitchers are just looking for small steps forward in preparation for the regular season starts they will encounter throughout the upcoming MLB season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, was happy to see his fastball coming out his hand nicely despite his location issues in this spring training work assignment. Price’s recent wrist surgery resulted in his left hand feeling the flow of warm blood which was previously not in existence. He has been dealing with a lack of feeling in his left hand prior to the much needed operation.

The Former American League Cy Young Award winner with the Tampa Bay Rays, David Price, will join a solid starting pitcher rotation of Clayton Kershaw as well as Walker Buehler. Overall, he was just excited and nervous to get back into action after his surgical procedure as I assume any Major League Baseball pitcher would be.

Price's Career MLB Regular Season Statistics

Year Age Tm Lg W L W-L% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF ERA+ FIP WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W Awards
2008 22 TBR AL 0 0   1.93 5 1 0 0 0 0 14 9 4 3 1 4 0 12 1 0 0 57 234 3.42 0.929 5.8 0.6 2.6 7.7 3  
2009 23 TBR AL 10 7 0.588 4.42 23 23 0 0 0 0 128.1 119 72 63 17 54 0 102 4 0 2 557 98 4.59 1.348 8.3 1.2 3.8 7.2 1.89  
2010 24 TBR AL 19 6 0.76 2.72 32 31 0 2 1 0 208.2 170 71 63 15 79 1 188 5 3 5 861 144 3.42 1.193 7.3 0.6 3.4 8.1 2.38 AS,CYA-2
2011 25 TBR AL 12 13 0.48 3.49 34 34 0 0 0 0 224.1 192 93 87 22 63 5 218 9 0 2 918 108 3.32 1.137 7.7 0.9 2.5 8.7 3.46 AS
2012 26 TBR AL 20 5 0.8 2.56 31 31 0 2 1 0 211 173 63 60 16 59 2 205 5 1 8 836 150 3.05 1.1 7.4 0.7 2.5 8.7 3.47 AS,CYA-1,MVP-12
2013 27 TBR AL 10 8 0.556 3.33 27 27 0 4 0 0 186.2 178 78 69 16 27 0 151 3 0 6 740 115 3.03 1.098 8.6 0.8 1.3 7.3 5.59  
2014 28 TOT AL 15 12 0.556 3.26 34 34 0 3 0 0 248.1 230 100 90 25 38 1 271 5 0 2 1009 115 2.78 1.079 8.3 0.9 1.4 9.8 7.13 AS,CYA-6
2014 28 TBR AL 11 8 0.579 3.11 23 23 0 2 0 0 170.2 156 68 59 20 23 1 189 5 0 2 689 119 2.93 1.049 8.2 1.1 1.2 10 8.22  
2014 28 DET AL 4 4 0.5 3.59 11 11 0 1 0 0 77.2 74 32 31 5 15 0 82 0 0 0 320 108 2.44 1.146 8.6 0.6 1.7 9.5 5.47  
2015 29 TOT AL 18 5 0.783 2.45 32 32 0 3 1 0 220.1 190 70 60 17 47 2 225 3 0 4 888 164 2.78 1.076 7.8 0.7 1.9 9.2 4.79 AS,CYA-2,MVP-9
2015 29 DET AL 9 4 0.692 2.53 21 21 0 3 1 0 146 133 50 41 13 29 2 138 3 0 3 592 158 3.06 1.11 8.2 0.8 1.8 8.5 4.76  
2015 29 TOR AL 9 1 0.9 2.3 11 11 0 0 0 0 74.1 57 20 19 4 18 0 87 0 0 1 296 179 2.22 1.009 6.9 0.5 2.2 10.5 4.83  
2016 30 BOS AL 17 9 0.654 3.99 35 35 0 2 0 0 230 227 106 102 30 50 1 228 7 0 4 951 112 3.6 1.204 8.9 1.2 2 8.9 4.56  
2017 31 BOS AL 6 3 0.667 3.38 16 11 1 0 0 0 74.2 65 30 28 8 24 0 76 4 0 2 317 135 3.64 1.192 7.8 1 2.9 9.2 3.17  
2018 32 BOS AL 16 7 0.696 3.58 30 30 0 1 0 0 176 151 75 70 25 50 0 177 10 0 1 722 123 4.02 1.142 7.7 1.3 2.6 9.1 3.54  
2019 33 BOS AL 7 5 0.583 4.28 22 22 0 0 0 0 107.1 109 57 51 15 32 0 128 3 1 3 458 113 3.62 1.314 9.1 1.3 2.7 10.7 4  
12 Yrs       150 80 0.652 3.31 321 311 1 17 3 0 2029.2 1813 819 746 207 527 12 1981 59 5 39 8314 123 3.35 1.153 8 0.9 2.3 8.8 3.76  
162 Game Avg.       16 9 0.652 3.31 35 33 0 2 0 0 218  195 88 80 22 57 1 213 6 1 4 895 123 3.35 1.153 8 0.9 2.3 8.8 3.76  
TBR (7 yrs)       82 47 0.636 3.18 175 170 0 10 2 0 1143.2 997 449 404 107 309 9 1065 32 4 25 4658 122 3.33 1.142 7.8 0.8 2.4 8.4 3.45  
BOS (4 yrs)       46 24 0.657 3.84 103 98 1 3 0 0 588 552 268 251 78 156 1 609 24 1 10 2448 118 3.74 1.204 8.4 1.2 2.4 9.3 3.9  
DET (2 yrs)       13 8 0.619 2.9 32 32 0 4 1 0 223.2 207 82 72 18 44 2 220 3 0 3 912 136 2.84 1.122 8.3 0.7 1.8 8.9 5  
TOR (1 yr)       9 1 0.9 2.3 11 11 0 0 0 0 74.1 57 20 19 4 18 0 87 0 0 1 296 179 2.22 1.009 6.9 0.5 2.2 10.5 4.83  

Price's Career MLB Playoff Statistics

Year Age Tm Lg Series Rslt Opp W L W-L% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W WPA
2008 22 TBR AL ALDS W CHW                                                          
2008 22 TBR AL ALCS W BOS 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 1 2.1 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 9 0.857 0 0 7.7 15.4 2 0.36
2008 22 TBR AL WS L PHI 0 0   2.7 2 0 2 0 0 0 3.1 2 2 1 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 15 1.2 5.4 2.7 5.4 10.8 2 0.09
2010 24 TBR AL ALDS L TEX 0 2 0 4.97 2 2 0 0 0 0 12.2 17 8 7 2 0 0 14 0 0 0 55 1.342 12.1 1.4 0 9.9   -0.33
2011 25 TBR AL ALDS L TEX 0 1 0 4.05 1 1 0 0 0 0 6.2 7 3 3 1 1 0 3 0 0 1 27 1.2 9.5 1.4 1.4 4.1 3 -0.03
2013 27 TBR AL ALWC W CLE                                                          
2013 27 TBR AL ALDS L BOS 0 1 0 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 7 9 7 7 2 2 0 5 0 0 0 31 1.571 11.6 2.6 2.6 6.4 2.5 -0.33
2014 28 DET AL ALDS L BAL 0 1 0 2.25 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 5 2 2 1 2 0 6 1 0 0 31 0.875 5.6 1.1 2.3 6.8 3 0.07
2015 29 TOR AL ALDS W TEX 1 1 0.5 7.2 2 1 0 0 0 0 10 11 8 8 2 2 0 7 2 0 0 43 1.3 9.9 1.8 1.8 6.3 3.5 -0.25
2015 29 TOR AL ALCS L KCR 0 1 0 5.4 2 2 0 0 0 0 13.1 11 8 8 2 1 0 16 0 0 0 52 0.9 7.4 1.4 0.7 10.8 16 -0.22
2016 30 BOS AL ALDS L CLE 0 1 0 13.5 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.1 6 5 5 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 18 2.4 16.2 2.7 5.4 8.1 1.5 -0.24
2017 31 BOS AL ALDS L HOU 0 0   0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6.2 5 0 0 0 2 1 6 0 0 0 27 1.05 6.8 0 2.7 8.1 3 0.43
2018 32 BOS AL ALDS W NYY 0 1 0 16.2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.2 3 3 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 10 3 16.2 10.8 10.8 0 0 -0.22
2018 32 BOS AL ALCS W HOU 1 0 1 3.38 2 2 0 0 0 0 10.2 8 4 4 1 4 0 13 0 0 0 44 1.125 6.8 0.8 3.4 11 3.25 0.15
2018 32 BOS AL WS W LAD 2 0 1 1.98 3 2 0 0 0 0 13.2 7 3 3 1 6 0 10 0 0 0 52 0.951 4.6 0.7 4 6.6 1.67 0.46
9 Yrs (13 Series)             5 9 0.357 4.62 23 14 5 0 0 1 99.1 91 53 51 16 28 1 91 3 0 1 414 1.198 8.2 1.4 2.5 8.2 3.25 -0.05
8 ALDS             1 8 0.111 5.63 11 8 0 0 0 0 56 63 36 35 11 13 1 44 3 0 1 242 1.357 10.1 1.8 2.1 7.1 3.38 -0.89
3 ALCS             2 1 0.667 4.1 7 4 3 0 0 1 26.1 19 12 12 3 7 0 33 0 0 0 105 0.987 6.5 1 2.4 11.3 4.71 0.29
2 WS             2 0 1 2.12 5 2 2 0 0 0 17 9 5 4 2 8 0 14 0 0 0 67 1 4.8 1.1 4.2 7.4 1.75 0.55

Media Statements

"It's been a while since I faced hitters wearing a different jersey," Price stated. "It's the first time I've been in a game in six, almost seven months. My legs were shaking out there. It's just, if you love what you do, you're definitely going to have nerves. It was fun. I definitely enjoyed it, getting back out there."

"Wasn't missing in the middle of the plate," says Price following his spring training debut. "When I did miss, it was a very small miss. Everything is getting there."

"I needed to get it fixed," Price explained. "It's new for my hand to be warm."

"It's OK. This is a business, first and foremost," Price proclaimed. "I learned that probably when I was traded from Tampa. I was naive at the time, I thought I was going to be a Ray for life. ... Teams are going in different routes now than what they used to. Some of it I understand and some of it I don't.

"There's no hard feelings on my part," Price goes on to say. "I don't need any extra motivation. Any day I get to put on this uniform or any other uniform, that's motivation enough for me."

Sources:

“David Price makes spring debut for Dodgers”, espn.com, March 2, 2020.

“David Price”, baseball-reference.com, March 3, 2020.

Written by: David Green