Red Sox manager John Farrell revealed on Tuesday that Dustin Pedroia has been battling a serious wrist injury “for some time” and will not be in the lineup for tonight’s game, stating that the second baseman’s “long term health is the most important thing.” An interpretation of this statement leads to reports that the Red Sox will likely shut him down for the remaining 18 games of this season.
In April, the Boston Globe reported that Pedroia suffered a wrist injury during a game on April 4th.
Considering the state of this Red Sox season, the decision to sit Pedroia would be unsurprising and in keeping with the team’s focus on success in 2015. Pedroia also suffered a concussion on August 30th in Tampa Bay when he collided with Logan Forsythe during a tag play in which Forsythe was running to second.
Certainly fans would rather see a healthy Pedroia on the field next year than an injured Pedroia struggling through these final few games. It seems the man himself would be the only one opposed to taking the rest of the year off. “With Dustin, it gets to the point of taking the decision out of his hands,” Farrell said, “because he does want to continue to play.” This is unsurprising, as Pedroia is known for playing through injuries, but sitting him for now seems to be the best option, considering the low stakes for the team in these last few games and the importance of Pedroia to next year’s lineup.