David Price has been summoned to the big leagues, and presumably, he will make his major league debut sometime in the next 48 hours. Like a lot of September call-ups, he will have a handful of outings this month, a taste of the big leagues.
But Rays manager
Joe Maddon will undoubtedly pick spots for Price carefully, lining him up to throw in innings when there are left-handed hitters due to bat, when Price's 95 mph fastball could be a real weapon. And for Price, this will be a dress rehearsal for the postseason; if he overpowers left-handed hitters in the next 16 days, then we will see him summoned into a game to face
Garret Anderson, or
David Ortiz, or
Joe Mauer and
Justin Morneau.
Price's first season in professional baseball has been extraordinary, and scouts who have seen him have raved about his future. At least two scouts who've seen him recently, however, say that he has taken a small step back; they feel like that, late in the season, his fastball has lost some of its movement. They suspect that he might just be just a tad worn down. His command of his secondary stuff, they say, is not as good now as it will be in the future -- and lest there be any doubt, they are all but certain that he's going to be a special pitcher.
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Buster Olney
