David Price could benefit from new environment with Dodgers

GLENDALE, AZ. – David Price has spent a lot of time in some tough neighborhoods.

The veteran left-hander has spent 11 of his first 12 seasons in the major leagues pitching in the American League East, home to three of the most hitter-friendly ballparks (based on ESPN’s ballpark factors rankings). For parts of seven seasons, his home park was one of the top 10 most hitter-friendly in the majors – Boston’s Fenway Park, Rogers Centre in Toronto and Comerica Park in Detroit, with the first two particularly difficult for left-handed pitchers.

Pitching at Dodger Stadium (24th in ESPN’s ballpark factor rankings last year) and no longer facing AL lineups fortified with the designated hitter could mean a nice late-career boost for the 34-year-old Price.

“I hope a big boost, you know,” Price said with a smile.

“I mean, facing the pitcher is cool. Having the ability to pitch around the 8-hole is part of the strategy. But at the same time, National League guys (pitchers) are taking BP, they’re running the bases. … That can take a toll on you as well.”

In an era when “load management” has been added to the sports language, the Dodgers do their best to minimize the toll on their starting pitchers over the course of the regular season.

Last season, the Dodgers starting pitcher had more than four days’ rest in 117 of their 162 regular-season games – not far from their annual standard over the past few seasons. Only one pitcher over the past three seasons has made as many as 30 starts (Walker Buehler last year) and none have pitched more than 183 innings in a season since both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke topped 220 in 2015.

Price has made at least 30 starts in seven seasons and pitched over 200 innings six times.

“I had no clue about that,” Price said when told the Dodgers’ recent history of handling their starters with care. The number of starts made with extra rest, in particular, caught his attention.

“That’s just kind of the way baseball is trending. I don’t think it’s one team. That’s just the way the game is going. But those horses, they’re still going to go out there and eat up six and seven and make pitches in the eighth and go out there for the ninth every now and again. That’s still going to happen.”

More than anything, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts points to Price’s renewed health as a positive sign for 2020. Price had surgery in September to remove a cyst from his left wrist, ending his season earlier than he could remember.

“I think that was the longest I’ve gone in my life without touching a baseball,” Price said. “To be able to have that time to regroup, get everything back under me feels really good right now.”

The wrist issue had been a problem as far back as his days in Tampa, causing circulation issues in his hand and a lack of feeling for the baseball that reached a head last season.

“The way it was described to me was it was kind of gravel. We would use different tools to smooth it out. But it kind of accumulated to be so much the best thing was to go in there cut it out and get it over with,” he said.

“I could instantly tell how much warmer my hand was. The feeling in my hand was instantly better.”

BELLINGER VS. ASTROS

On Friday, Cody Bellinger asserted that the Astros “stole a ring from us” and Jose Altuve stole the AL MVP from Aaron Judge by using an elaborate system to steal signs. On Saturday, Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa responded to Bellinger’s comments, defending Altuve and saying Bellinger didn’t “know the facts.”

Bellinger did not make himself available to the media Sunday and Roberts made it clear he hopes there will be no further back and forth.

“He said what he said. It was his honest thoughts on the situation and our guy gave his thoughts,” Roberts said. “Right now, I think it’s at the forefront obviously guys have an opportunity, a platform. I think Dusty (Baker) said it — it’s time to move on and move forward.

“I think they (Bellinger’s comments) were honest. I do believe that was something he wanted to get off his chest and felt compelled to voice his thoughts. But I do know he’s ready to move forward. What he said was said and I don’t think there will be any follow up or retort for what Carlos said.”

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