The Boston Red Sox will activate star-second baseman Dustin Pedroia off the Disabled List on Friday. He had missed the first 50 games of the season due to knee surgery in the offseason.
Pedroia will return to the field for the weekend series against the Atlanta Braves exactly seven months after his left knee cartilage restoration operation. On Thursday he finished his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he was 1-14 in five games.
“He was saving his hits for Fenway,” joked manager Alex Cora. “He was able to read pitches and had at-bats with seven or eight pitches, so he’ll be in a good mood. “It was enough for me that he was able to play fully and without hesitation today.”
Pedroia starts his 13th season for the Red Sox. The 34-year-old was the 2008 American League MVP and ranks sixth in the Red Sox all-time lists for Doubles (394) and Stolen Bases (138) and eighth in Hits (1802) and Total Bases (2646).
According to Cora, Pedroia will start either on Friday or Saturday and somehow beat Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi, who will stay at 1 and 2 in the Batting Order.
“Now that Pedroia is healthy again, he will be able to hit the ball with strength. And he will have a lot of traffic in front of him wherever he beats in the lineup,” Cora said.
As a consequence of Pedroia’s return, Eduardo Nunez, who has so far manned the second base, will again become the Utility Man. “He likes to play different positions,” Cora explained. “I have the feeling that he is making progress on second base and has mastered the routine plays, but now he doesn’t have to get too involved all the time. “He can play different positions and then the real Eduardo Nunez will come out.”
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This article was published without previous view by the Major League Baseball.