Price to simplify mind-set

It seems a bit silly to ask David Price what he plans to think about on the mound when he makes his next start today, given that he said after his last start that many of his problems have stemmed from thinking too much.

Nonetheless, Price gave it a try. He said he plans to get into a different mind-set as soon as he wakes up this morning and go from there.

"I just haven't had that edge," he said. "I haven't had that mentality. I have to get back to the same way I was last year and the same way that got me to this point: That batter standing in the box is trying to take something from me and I've got to stop him from doing that."

Price knows he is capable, despite a body of work this season that has hardly measured up to anyone's expectations. The Rays don't believe his command problems (23 walks in 29 innings) are the result of any mechanical issues, so they have asked him to just go out and pitch.

"Simplify. You always simplify," said Manager Joe Maddon, who went on to comparing it to the approach an NFL team might take with a rookie quarterback.

"You back off, you simplify, and you really create a smaller game plan as opposed to a more elaborate one."

While the Rays don't seem inclined to panic about Price's difficulties, he won't be run out every fifth day indefinitely if he continues to pitch poorly, simply because the team has to put winning ahead of development at this point.

Price, not surprisingly, believes his development should continue in the majors rather than at Durham, if it comes to that.

"I need to learn to pitch at this level, not at Triple-A," he said. "I'm going to learn how to pitch here by pitching here. If I take my lumps and bruises now, I think what's happened so far is kind of going to be just a blessing in disguise."

Shouse sighting

After more than six weeks on the disabled list with an elbow strain, LHP Brian Shouse finally is about ready to see some game action. He'll throw a simulated game at Tropicana Field on Friday and said he expects to begin a rehab assignment next week in Port Charlotte.

"I'm very, very close," said the 40-year-old, who has never been sidelined this long in his career.

"If I was on the DL before," he said, "either there wasn't really anything wrong with me and they needed to do something or it was just something minor and it was the 15 days and that was it."

The good news for the Rays is Randy Choate has filled in superbly for Shouse, but of course that will make for another tough decision when the lefty specialist is ready to return.

Shouse doesn't expect it to take long to get back up to speed.

"My velocity will be there," he said. "It'll be slow."

Major moves

The Rays' signings of Venezuelan teenagers Cesar Perez (3B) and Juniel Querecuto (SS) represent the team's highest-profile moves yet in Latin America. Perez will get a $1 million bonus and Querecuto a bonus that tops $500,000 when the deals are official - the latter basically doubling the most the Rays had paid out for any international amateur signing in the past.

The additions haven't officially been announced yet because the Rays are still awaiting finalization of all the necessary medical and legal documentation.

Need a rally

Carlos Pena remained fourth among the five candidates Wednesday afternoon in voting for the final spot on the American League All-Star roster.

Pena led only Toronto's Adam Lind, and Detroit 3B Brandon Inge took over the AL lead. Voting on MLB.com ends today at 4 p.m.

Marc Lancaster