Pedroia could return next weekend vs Yankees

Jun 21, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Boston Red Sox second basemen Dustin Pedroia (15) at bat against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Dustin Pedroia has been out of action since straining his right hamstring against the Orioles in late June. Now, a week and a half later, Pedroia is back to taking batting practice (he took BP today for the second straight day), and is preparing for his return to the Red Sox lineup.

With the Yankees coming to town next weekend, the Red Sox would love to have their fired-up second baseman back as they try to close the first half of the season up on a strong note at home against their division rivals. As of today, John Farrell says that Pedroia’s return next weekend is a possibility, but the team will keep it’s options open.

"“Yesterday was a good day for him where the intensity to his running started to increase more. We’ll get a clearer view on this as we get through to the Miami series,” said Farrell. “What we’re going to come down to is what’s the risk/reward for activating him for the final series this week, on this homestand, or do we take advantage of those four days? The next four days will give us more clarity to that.”"

Boston would definitely love to have Pedroia back, as he has been one of Boston’s most effective players across the board. With a .306 batting average, Pedroia is certainly being missed offensively, despite the fact that the bats have been a bit more consistent of late.