Getting an MRI. Forearm/elbow. Second opinion. Dr. James Andrews. When in close proximity, those words tell an all-too-familiar story, one that doesn't discriminate between untested rookies and perennial All-Stars: the looming possibility of Tommy John surgery. Fortunately for the Red Sox, those chilling words were rendered largely moot on Friday when the team announced that David Price will not need season-ending surgery on his left elbow and instead will be treated with rest and medication.
Last season, Price's first in Boston after signing a seven-year, $217 million contract that is the richest ever given to a pitcher, was an uneven one for the former Cy Young winner.