Pedroia is just one step away
Nabs hit in 1st PawSox game
‘Everything felt great, so I’m pretty happy.’ — DUSTIN PEDROIA On rehab at Pawtucket
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Dustin Pedroia has had a plan outlined for him, and he’s followed it as strictly as possible.
Last night, that meant his first real baseball game in more than seven months.
Pedroia’s road back to the Red Sox has hit its final phase. After a few weeks of playing in extended spring training games in Fort Myers, the second baseman began his Triple-A rehab assignment with the PawSox as his recovery from offseason knee surgery nears its conclusion.
Extended spring training was a more controlled setting for Pedroia, so last night offered him his first dose of live action since the Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs last October, just before he proceeded to have a cartilage restoration procedure in his left knee. He played five innings and went 1-for3 with a single and run scored, and his knee looked fine as he tracked down a pop fly in short right field in the first inning.
For Pedroia, it was the beginning of an important final milestone to make sure his knee is back to normal and he passed the first test.
“Everything felt great, so I’m pretty happy,” Pedroia said.
“After I got out there in the first inning, I didn’t even think about my knee one time, so that’s when you kind of know you’re good,” he continued. “So just continue going. Hopefully (today) I feel better than (last night) and get after it.”
Pedroia said he’s had one minor setback during his rehab that caused him to take a week off, “but other than that, it’s been right on plan and ahead of schedule.”
The second baseman provided a rough outline of what he believes the plan will be over the next week: He’ll play again tonight, likely as a designated hitter, then take tomorrow and Thursday off. Then, he said he thinks he’ll play three in a row this weekend.
“I’m like four months ahead of schedule,” Pedroia said. “I think the quickest one to get back from this is like 11 months, so I’m at almost seven, so we’ll keep building, and I’m pretty excited. It’s been a long time. Watched a lot of games and it’s fun to go out there and play. …
“Our training staff has kind of mapped out a plan of what we’re trying to do and I’ve followed it every step,” he said before the game. “Every now and then, I’ll give them my input on an exercise or things like that, but as of a time frame, it’s been what’s been mapped out from the Red Sox and the doctor that did my surgery, so that’s been it, so whatever they tell me to do, I try to attack that and this is the part where I’m supposed to start playing, so I’m here.”
The Red Sox have 20 days, starting yesterday, the beginning of his assignment, to either activate him or keep him on the disabled list. There’s no date set for a potential return, but Pedroia seemed very optimistic about where he’s at physically.
Pedroia said the biggest challenge of his recovery has been running, something he had to take slow early on and build up. But he said he’s moving well down the line and is feeling fine now. He ran quickly down the line last night as he grounded out to end the fifth inning.
“I don’t have any issues,” Pedroia said. “I think the work we put in to get to this point, that’s the reason why (it was a challenge), so you’re gonna see the same guy you’ve seen play for how many years I’ve played, so that’s it.”
Pedroia said that through all of this, he’s discovered a new perspective on baseball, as well as other things in his everyday life.
“I was in extended (spring training) playing 10 o’clock (a.m.) games in 100-degree weather, and everyone’s like, ‘Aw, this sucks,’ and I’m like, ‘Man, well this really doesn’t suck. You’re playing baseball, you should enjoy it,’ ” Pedroia said.
“I’m excited. It’s different, man. It’s been a long time. This whole process, it’s been hard . ... there have been some tough days but I’m excited to see some guys and play baseball.”
In other news on Red Sox rehabs in Pawtucket, Tyler Thornburg pitched a third of an inning last night against Buffalo. He allowed two hits, including a home run, and two runs (both earned) and walked a batter. He threw 19 pitches with only eight strikes as Pawtucket eventually won 6-5 in 10 innings at McCoy Stadium.