Business is about to pick up as longtime Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is finally set to return to the squad this week.
As reported by Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald, Dustin Pedroia is set to make his return to the Red Sox this week in a spring training game against Minnesota. This has been a long time coming for the tenured second baseman of the Red Sox as he sat out all but 3 games last season. After months of rest and rehab, it’s time to test the pesky left knee of Pedroia.
Alex Cora mentioned that he recently spoke with Dustin in order to see how he felt prior to a final meeting with the team doctors before the proposed game on Thursday.
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"“Most likely Thursday,” said manager Alex Cora before Tuesday’s game against the Nationals. “I texted with him today and he said he feels good. We’ll see how the medical department feels. If he’s OK today we’ll play him most likely Thursday.”"
It will be up to the Red Sox medical staff to have the final say on if Pedroia will be suiting up for the Thursday tilt against the Twins. Red Sox Nation has been waiting patiently to see when and on some days, if, Dustin would be able to return to the diamond. It seems like we may finally get some resolution but now the question changes to what form will Pedroia be in.
You can take batting practice and field grounders all you want but nothing will ever match a real game scenario. And if you’ve followed Petey at all during his career you know he only goes full speed. So it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts if the knee handcuffs and prevents him from playing the only way he knows how.
"“No, I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t regret doing it, but looking back and knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it,” the Boston Red Sox second baseman said"
Dustin recently admitted that if he had to go back and do the surgery on his knee again, he wouldn’t go that route. ESPN Senior Writer David Schoenfield was in Fort Myers when Pedroia spoke on his journey from injured to healthy with his left knee. After not only a physically but mentally draining 2018 for Pedroia has given some great hindsight into the injury and recovery.
"“It’s a complicated surgery,” he said. “The cartilage in my knee is great now, but the graft is the thing. You’re putting somebody else’s bone in your body. To get that to incorporate fully, there are so many things that, going into it, I didn’t know all that stuff. I thought, ‘They were like, you tore this, we can fix it. Great.'”"
The Red Sox have some contingency plans in place just in case things don’t go as planned for Pedroia. Alex Cora can call on superstar utility man Brock Holt as well as Eduardo Nunez if Dustin needs rest or has any sort of setback. Cora has also been playing Michael Chavis at second during spring training to add to the versatility of the top prospect.
With his return to the lineup all but set for Thursday, the Red Sox will be getting back their heart and soul. There are players that have watched over the mantle in Pedroia’s absence but Dustin has been the rock of the organization for over a decade. Having him back on the active roster could mean great things for the Red Sox and their bid to repeat as World Champions in 2019.