TORONTO -- David Price's arrival in Toronto was delayed by a flat tire, a story that played out on Twitter with Blue Jays fans offering to rescue the stranded pitcher.
The former AL Cy Young Award winner, traded to Toronto on Thursday, posted a message just after 10 a.m. saying he'd blown a tire. About an hour later, he posted again to say he couldn't find anyone to fit a new tire on his car.
Blue Jays fans tweeted at the ace pitcher, telling him they'd pick him up wherever he was waiting. One fan cautioned, "If you change the tire ... RIGHT HAND ONLY!!!"
Shortly before 1 p.m., just as Price was tweeting a photo of his gray sports car being loaded onto a truck, the Blue Jays announced they were postponing a planned 3:30 p.m. introductory news conference for their new ace.
Price said he was on Interstate 94 near Chesterfield, Michigan, when his right rear tire blew.
"I got the extra tire put on and the guy was like `Where are you headed?," Price said. "I was like `I'm going to Toronto,' and he was like `You can't make it there on this tire.' I went to Discount Tires, they didn't have a tire to fit my back tire and then I just had to sit in a Target parking lot and wait for the tow truck to come and wait for my ride to arrive."
A noted fan of the popcorn at Rogers Centre, Price already had a gift awaiting him: six bags of popcorn were placed inside his locker, along with a welcome note from the team.
"I think some guys might have taken some before I got here but I was completely OK with that," Price said. "This is the best popcorn I've ever had."
Price said he was better able to handle a midseason trade after moving from Tampa Bay to Detroit at the deadline last summer.
"It definitely made it easier going through it my second time," he said.
Toronto put second baseman Devon Travis (left shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list to make room for Price, who is to make his Blue Jays debut on Monday afternoon against wild-card rival Minnesota. Price is being pushed back a day after being unable to throw his side session Thursday. He worked out on the field after the game.
R.A. Dickey will start on three days' rest against Kansas City on Sunday.
Toronto has seven off days remaining but Price isn't likely to get extra rest down the stretch.
"I think he needs to be out there on his fifth day," Gibbons said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.