Pioneering Pedroia
Pedroia had cartilage restoration surgery
In an effort to get healthy and return to the Majors, Dustin Pedroia elected for surgery usually performed on NBA players.
PAWTUCKET – ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell spent her Wednesday night in the press box at McCoy Stadium. Her storyline centered on Dustin Pedroia’s comeback bid from cartilage restoration surgery, one that’s not typically associated with Major League Baseball’s on-field product.
“He’s the first high-profile position player to have the type of procedure he’s had. I think that’s been overlooked and not really known, but I don’t necessarily expect people to know. He’s really a pioneer,” said Bell when reached on Friday. “When you hear cartilage restoration, there are techniques that I guess you would say are newer. Now you’re starting to see it done a little more frequently, but with Dustin and baseball, it will be interesting to see if he has a good result. So far it seems to be the case.”
With her eyes serving as her primary guide, Bell looked on as Pedroia – activated from the disabled list on Friday – ran down the first-base line and handled both chances in the field. What told Bell that the All-Star second baseman appears to be feeling like his old self is the hop he does on defense just as a pitch is thrown.
“Those are the things you look for when trying to figure out whether he’s the same guy from before,” Bell said. “The one thing I was looking for was the hustle and Dustin is a hustler by nature all the time. Even the transition between innings, he’s running off the field. He was trying to beat out the throw to first base and he was hustling. He couldn’t do that a year ago. He was essentially compromised.
“In terms of physical limitations, he says he doesn’t have any, nor does that appear to be the case. I certainly couldn’t see any,” Bell added.
Given the Pedroia’s surgery as it relates to unchartered territory for baseball, Bell began tracking his progress during spring training.
“At that point he was doing drills. It was great to see him out there taking batting practice and fielding groundballs, but that’s what the level of activity was back then. He was starting to get movement back and just getting ready to incorporate lateral agility things at a higher level,” Bell said. “The other night was a big difference.”
Pedroia appeared in back-toback games once in his five-game stay with the PawSox. Defensively, manager Kevin Boles said Pedroia was tested enough to point where the Red Sox should feel comfortable with him being all systems go on that front.
“That’s why players goes through multiple rehab games – so they to be forced into situational play and things they don’t expect,” Bell said. “A slide here or there or something where you’re forced to make an unexpected move … all those things are really good and when they do it without a problem, it’s another box to check off.”
Dr. Riley Williams III performed the surgery on Pedroia. Dr. Williams is the head physician for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Bell noted that cartilage restoration is more common for basketball and soccer players.
“It’s really new ground for a baseball player, but from a surgeon’s perspective, (Dr. Williams) is comfortable with this type of procedure. It wasn’t like the procedure was novel for him,” Bell said. “When someone dips their toe in a medical procedure involving a different group of athletes … if you do well, people are watching.”
Bell provided a disclaimer for baseball types who are suffering from the same ailment that ultimately felled Pedroia.
“Not everyone is a candidate for this and it’s not like one-sizefits-all. There are a number of different cartilage injuries,” she said. “In the case where someone might be choosing between this and microfracture, I think what Dustin has been through will give them something to consider.”
Bell says Dr. Williams plans to publish a study on NBA players where the return-to-prior-level rate following microfracture surgery is 88 percent. That’s pretty significant and offers plenty of hope when it comes to Pedroia.
“It’s helpful when they publish a study like that because even without the names, you’re talking about players within the NBA as opposed to random athletes,” Bell said.
In closing, Bell feels Pedroia doesn’t have to alter a thing when it comes to his hard-nosed playing style.
“That’s what is key,” she said. “The Red Sox want him to be himself.”
EXTRA BASES: The last-place PawSox, who have dropped 12 of their last 16 games, entered Friday 5.5 games behind first-place Lehigh Valley. … Speaking of the IronPigs, the PawSox will play four games over the next three days against their divisional rival. There’s a single-admission doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Jalen Beeks (2-2, 2.28) is scheduled to start one of the games for Pawtucket while the starting pitcher for the additional game is to be announced. … Pawtucket plans to add left-handed reliever Bobby Poyner back on the roster on Saturday. Poyner was optioned from Boston on Thursday. … Reliever Austin Maddox (right shoulder strain) is expected to make his third rehab appearance with the PawSox on Saturday. The righty has yet to allow a run in two appearances with Pawtucket.