(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays had hoped to have ace left-hander David Price on the hill on Saturday, but the team is skipping him because of a sore shoulder. Instead it will be rookie Chris Archer when they continue a three- game series with the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field.
"It's the first time I've ever had soreness in my shoulder like that so I'm just going to take it slow," Price said Friday. "I played catch today, felt good so I'm just looking forward to (throwing again) Sunday or Monday and making my next start. It's a good time for me to miss a start and get that extra rest, then come back and be ready to throw."
So, it will be Archer, who was 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts earlier in the year. In 10 appearances in Triple-A Durham after getting sent back down, though, he was 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 46 1/3 frames.
"Any time you get the opportunity to take the ball in the big leagues, it's super exciting," Archer told the team's official website ahead of his home debut. "You try not to get overwhelmed with everything. But it's always exciting."
Getting the call for the Rangers on Saturday will be Japanese righty Yu Darvish, who is 14-9 with a 4.29 ERA. Darvish won his second straight start on Monday in Kansas City, as he allowed three runs and three hits in seven innings.
"I think it's coming together, or going in that direction," said Darvish, who is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his last four starts. "Today I really felt my command was good. Everything is going in a good direction."
Darvish beat the Rays two starts ago in his only other start against them, scattering six hits in seven scoreless innings.
Tampa won this opener in thrilling fashion on Friday, as Ben Zobrist's two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted the Rays to a 3-1 win.
B.J. Upton worked a leadoff walk off Mark Lowe (0-1) before Zobrist smacked a shot into the seats in right field.
Wade Davis (3-0) fanned five over two scoreless frames of relief for Tampa Bay, which has won five of its past six games.
Jeremy Hellickson started for Tampa Bay and allowed a run on four hits and one walk in six innings.
"For the most part I kept the ball down and just mixed it up," Hellickson said of his outing.
Derek Holland struck out 11 and surrendered a run on just two hits and two walks over an eight-inning start for the Rangers, who had won four of their previous five contests.
"I thought everything was good," Holland said. "They just came out on top. We gotta forget about it now and get ready for tomorrow."
The Rays have won four of seven with the Rangers this season.
