BOSTON — Dustin Pedroia is eyeing a speedy recovery.
The Red Sox placed Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain before Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. It’s a huge blow to the Red Sox, but the second baseman hopes the injury won’t sideline him for too long.
“You guys know me,” Pedroia said. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Pedroia suffered the injury Wednesday night after delivering a two-run single into left field. He immediately grabbed the back of his leg after rounding first base and exited the game moments later. It was fairly obvious something wasn’t right, as Pedroia has a track record of pushing through injuries.
“I kind of just skidded, it slipped out before I got to the bag and I tried to recover,” Pedroia said. “You deal with it the best you can. It’s unfortunate. It’s something you can’t dwell on. It happens. It’s part of the game, I guess.”
The nature of the injury is unique to Pedroia. He’s dealt with several physical ailments throughout his 10-year career, including a wrist issue in 2014 requiring season-ending surgery in September. But the 31-year-old now is navigating uncharted waters.
“I’ve never pulled a muscle before. It’s just weird,” Pedroia said. “Right before I hit the bag, my foot kind of slipped out and I hit the bag with my left foot, so I tried to just recover and stop, so I slipped basically.
“It’s a thing you can’t prevent, man. That’s the part that frustrates me mentally. You work hard in the weight room and in the offseason trying to do things to prevent injury, and little things happen. It’s tough. We’ll get through it. Guys will come together and hold it down until I get back. And then we’ll go.”
Pedroia is enjoying an excellent 2015 campaign after posting career-lows across the board last season. There’s no denying the Red Sox will miss every aspect of his game as he recovers.
“He’s the heart and soul of our team, in the short description of it,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “The way he plays, what he means in the clubhouse, what he means on the field with his performance. Probably having a career year to date.
“Hopefully this is on the shorter end of the time missed. In other words, after the 15 days, hopefully he comes back to us. But there’s no projected date on his return. He’ll be back as soon as he’s capable.”
Expect Pedroia to be champing at the bit these next two weeks.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
