Red Sox 2B announces retirement

Boston Red Sox star second baseman Dustin Pedroia announced his retirement from baseball Monday after playing just nine games over the past three seasons.

Pedroia, 37, spent his entire 17-year career (14 in the majors) with the Red Sox, playing in 1,512 Major League games and earning Most Valuable Player (2008) and Rookie of the Year (2007) honors along the way.

Chronic issues with his left knee robbed the fourtime All-Star of playing out his career on his terms. Pedroia underwent four procedures on the knee since the end of the 2016 season to restore cartilage and remove scar tissue. He had joint preservation surgery in August 2019.

He played in 105 games in 2017 but managed just three games in 2018 and six in 2019. A setback in January 2020 cost him the entire season.

Pedroia was a four-time Gold Glove winner and three-time World Series champion.

For his career, Pedroia hit .299/.365/.439 with 140 home runs, 922 runs scored and 725 RBIs.

Pedroia is the only player in Major League history to win a World Series title, earn MVP, Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove awards within their first two full seasons, according to MLB.com.

“Through championships and injuries, Dustin’s disciplined approach never wavered,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “His work ethic is incomparable, and we saw him attack his rehab during the last chapter of his career with the same intensity he approached the batter’s box in his prime.”