Red Sox place David Price on DL with elbow issue

The Red Sox are placing lefty David Price on the disabled list with an elbow issue, as first reported by Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. Price underwent an MRI on Thursday and is dealing with a recurrence of the elbow injury he experienced in spring training.

The news is obviously concerning for Price, who didn’t make his debut this season until Memorial Day due to the injury. He has pitched to a solid 3.82 ERA and 8.6 K/9 in 11 starts since coming back, but is said to have experienced symptoms over the last few days before being re-evaluated. The long-term nature of the injury is not yet known.

Lefty Brian Johnson will slot in for Price in the short-term, joining Chris Sale, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello in a Boston rotation that already lost Steven Wright for the year. The Red Sox could look for a cheap option on the starting pitching market, with rentals Marco Estrada, Lance Lynn, Jeremy Hellickson or Andrew Cashner potentially being options.

Price, as has been well-documented, has made headlines in recent weeks for public spats with beat reporter Evan Drellich and broadcaster Dennis Eckersley. Today’s injury news is the latest in a series of disappointing events since Price arrived in Boston after signing a seven-year, $217 million contract before last season.