BOSTON — David Price does not appear headed for surgery on his left elbow this winter, while Dustin Pedroia’s left knee situation requires further consultation.
“It heals itself,” Price told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal this summer of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The second trip to the disabled list this season was more about the lower triceps, Price told Rosenthal. But as for his UCL, and potential Tommy John surgery, that doesn’t seem to be the plan unless definitely needed.
Price therefore is expected ready for spring training with rest and strengthening.
“I think so. I hope so. That’s what the doctors tell us at this point,” Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday during his press conference about the firing of John Farrell. “You can see he threw the ball extremely well. After what happened this year, you always sit on the edge of your seat when things like that happen. But he has seen the top specialists in the country and they told us if he got back to this point, he should be fine for next year. So that’s what our anticipation is that he will be part of our starting rotation next year and be ready to go. “
Pedroia noted on Monday that fixing his painful left knee could mean a lengthy recovery. Pedroia visited a knee specialist in New York on Wednesday, Dombrowski said. Another visit to a specialist in Boston, one Pedroia has previously visited, is scheduled for Thursday.
"Then we'll have to decide what's going to take place at that point,” Dombrowski said. “We want to make sure that most importantly his knee is as good as it can be going forward. I don't know what that's going to [entail] at this point until he sees the doctors and gets those recommendations."
Other medical situations seemingly could result in surgery, but there was no announcement Wednesday.
Boston Red Sox
“Because there are some other people being checked out by doctors and we’ll wait to here what the recommendations are,” Dombrowski said. “There may be some people, but the season just ended so we all need to follow up with doctors.”